Antisemitism report’s results tabled in the Senate

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Australian Senator Stirling Griff moved a motion in Australian Senat this week following the publication of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry antisemitism report released last Sunday.

Senator Stirling Griff

Central Alliance Senator Griff called on the Senate to acknowledge that antisemitic attacks involving face-to-face interactions surged 30% in the year up to September this year and that the Senate notes that incidents involving direct verbal antisemitic abuse, harassment and intimidation increased from 88 to 114 and graffiti attacks more than doubled from 45 to 95.

The Senate was told that attacks included physical assaults, abuse, harassment, vandalism, threats by email, letters phone calls, posters stickers and leaflets.

Senator Griff’s motion also called the Senate to repudiate all antisemitic attacks in Australia and called for increased Holocaust education in all Australian schools.

Labor Senator Deb O’Neill and Liberal Senator Jonathon Duniam moved and seconded the resolution.

AIJAC’s executive director Dr Colin Rubenstein wrote to Senator Griff telling him: “On behalf of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) and the Australian Jewish community, thank you for your steadfast leadership and role in initiating and supporting the Senate motion on Holocaust Education, adopted yesterday.

This is a particularly important issue to highlight in the broader community after repeated rises of antisemitic activity in Australia, including recent high profile cases of antisemitic abuse against Jewish school children.

We warmly congratulate you for your role in raising awareness of this issue important not only to Holocaust survivors but for generations to come in standing up against bigotry and promoting tolerance, compassion and understanding in Australian society.
The troubling current situation in the UK Labour party is a potent reminder of how important it is that political leaders publicly call out and confront antisemitism through motions like this one.