Anti-Semitism up 21%
In his report covering the 12 months’ period ending on September 30, 2013, Jeremy Jones has reported 657 incidents defined by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission as “racist violence” against Jews.
The figure reflects a 21% increase over the previous year and a 69% increase over the average of the previous 23 years.
Although the second highest figure ever recorded, serious physical attacks were at their lowest in eight years.
Incidents included physical assault, vandalism, threatening phone calls, hate mail, graffiti, leaflets, posters and abusive and intimidatory electronic mail.
Jones has made it clear that incidents based on criticism of Israel or references to Australian Jewry’s involvement in politics were not taken into account.
Fredrick Toben loses defamation case taken against Jeremy Jones, broadly relating to discussion of Dr Toben’s dissemination of material found to be unlawful due to its content relating to Jews (Oct. 2012);
the annual gathering of far right-wing groups at the Sydney Forum (Oct. 2012);
the participation of known extreme rightwing antisemit es at the Gaza Solidarity Rally Sydney (Nov. 2012);
cartoonist Leunig’s defence of Nazi/Jewish comparisons (Dec. 2012);
with the initial calling of the 2013 Federal Election on the Jewish Holy Day of Yom Kippur, Jews were accused of “whinging” for raising this as a concern (Jan. 2013);
The tragic story of Ben Zygier, an Australia/Israeli dual citizen who died in an Israeli prison, was used as a pretext by antisemites to accuse Jews in Australia of disloyalty ( Feb. 201
Call to “eliminate” Jews in song, in Arabic, on ABC Radio (Feb. 2013);
The promotion of far left elements of Shlomo Sand’s denial of Jewish peoplehood (Feb. 2013);
Active promotion by extreme left wing groups of the slur that Israel practices Apartheid (Feb. 2013);
the appointment of a Jewish Australian, Mark Dreyfus, as Attorney General (Feb. 2013); Claims in “New Age” journal “Hard Evidence” that Jews were responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks (Mar-April 2013);
Presence of Greek “Golden Dawn” in Melbourne and Sydney (Mar 2013);
A Sydney lecture by anti-Jewish Muslim
Preacher Musa Cerantonio lecture (Mar 2013); A sermon, promoted on social media, given by an Adelaide Muslim cleric, attacking Hindus and Jews (March 2013);
The Arrest of Nazi War Criminals (eg in Germany in May 2013);
A speech in the NSW Parliament by an upper house ALP MP in which he rationalised extreme anti-Israel prejudice (May 2013); the broad
Public support by Australian politicians for the London Declaration opposing antisemitism (May 2013); Antisemitism in the newspaper of the Australian national University’s religion series (May 2013);
On-going boycotts of Max Brenner coffee/chocolate outlets (May 2013);
Islamic Bookstore in Sydney (Al-Risalah) gaining international attention for promotion of extremist literature (June 2013); Al Quds Day, in Sydney and Melbourne, scene of anti- Semitism on Social media and at rallies (August 2013);
Former Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer’s inclusion of anti-Jewish slurs in a book about his time as Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See (August 2013);
The election of Tony Abbott as Prime Minister, according to some Muslim and far-right wing commentators the result of Jewish power (Sept. 2013).
