Antisemitism's Shifting Sands: National Inquiry Hears of Broad Impact on Australian Jewish Community

A recent wave of antisemitism has cast a wide net, targeting Jewish Australians regardless of their political stances or opinions on the Israeli government, a royal commission has been told.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, currently investigating safety measures during hearings in Melbourne, has been receiving evidence from religious figures, law enforcement, and security organisations.

Exponential Rise in Hostility

Senior Rabbi Allison Conyer, who also serves as the chair of the Union for Progressive Judaism, testified that progressive Jewish organisations have frequently faced abusive telephone calls, bomb threats, and lockdown drills. She explained that antisemitism has surged "almost exponentially" following the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent military action by Israel in Gaza.

Rabbi Conyer recounted a disturbing event to the inquiry: "A young adult once told me that she was walking in our neighbourhood and someone was driving by," she said. "They rolled down the window and said, 'Are you Jewish? Do you know where the Jews are? We're hunting Jews.'"

Progressive Judaism, as described by Rabbi Conyer, prioritises a modern and inclusive approach to Jewish life, welcoming interfaith families, female rabbis, and LGBT members. Serving as a senior rabbi at St Kilda's first progressive synagogue, she noted that congregants have reported instances of vilification that cut across political and ideological divides.

Among these cases was a left-wing university student who identified as a Zionist but remained critical of the Israeli government, only to be told "we don't want your Zionist scum here" by a socialist group he visited. Another student, who identified as anti-Zionist, "actually got death threats", according to Rabbi Conyer.

"This is blatant antisemitism, hiding itself and using Zionism as an excuse," she told the commission, adding that the highly charged political atmosphere has left many Jewish Australians feeling unable to express their grief for the Israelis killed or taken hostage on October 7.

Security Funding Strain

Multiple witnesses detailed a growing discrepancy between the escalating security requirements of Jewish institutions and what they can realistically afford or manage through volunteers.

According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, community spending on security has reached more than double the level of available government grants in recent years.

"In a sense we're always playing catch-up, because the costs keep increasing and the level of need for security measures keeps increasing," co-CEO Peter Wertheim told the commission. "Although the amounts are significant and generous and very much appreciated, they're always less than what it turns out is required."

While senior bureaucrats indicated that the New South Wales and Victorian state governments have allocated millions of dollars for security enhancements since October 2023, the commission heard that grant funding remains sporadic and complex to secure. Specific details regarding security protocols have been suppressed.

Community-Wide Trauma

The mental health toll on the community was also a focal point of the hearings. Lesli Berger, the immediate past president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, testified that the current crisis extends far beyond physical security into psychological distress.

"The entire Jewish community has been traumatised," Mr Berger said. "There has been a profound psychological effect on the entire community."

Mr Berger, a father of three and the descendant of Holocaust survivors, described feeling intensely vulnerable after a Nazi swastika was spray-painted onto his Sydney home in December 2024. Following the incident, he installed high-cost security cameras and removed his home address from public records. He noted that the meaning of the words written alongside the graffiti was "unclear" but suggested it "may have been some sort of broken German or something of that nature".

When the Bondi stabbing attack occurred approximately a year later, Mr Berger said two of his children, who were home alone at the time, "completely panicked".

"They were afraid that, given what had happened, other prominent members of the Jewish community could be targeted, including us," he stated. He added that the extensive volunteer efforts aimed at fostering social cohesion felt as though they were "all for nought".

Debate Over Anti-Zionism and Solutions

The commission also explored the definition of antisemitism, with several witnesses asserting that anti-Zionism is inherently antisemitic because it denies Jewish people self-determination in their ancestral homeland.

Commissioner Virginia Bell questioned witnesses on whether this perspective automatically positioned pro-Palestinian views as incompatible with Israel's existence.

"There are many, many Jews and non-Jews who are absolutely sympathetic to Palestinians and their plight, and sympathetic to Israel and Israelis and their plight," Rabbi Conyer responded when pressed on this. "I say: reject the binaries. It's not pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian."

Discussing the broader conflict, Mr Berger told the inquiry that a two-state solution remained the "only viable long-term solution to achieve peace".