Parliamentary Friends of IHRA
The Parliamentary Friends of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) was officially launched yesterday in Parliament House.
Seated are Josh Burns, Allegra Spender and Julian Leeser. Back Row: Lisa Thurin, Board Director Gandel Foundation, Senator Dean Smith, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, Maria Vamvakinou MP, Alan Tudge MP, Paul Fletcher MP, Keith Wolahan MP, Nola Marino MP
Representatives across the Parliament, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham, as well as Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimonwith many other IHRA member and observer nations, the Gandel Foundation, Australia’s IHRA Delegation and community leaders were present at the launch.
This non-partisan Friendship Group is a forum for MPs to meet with Holocaust commemorative organisations, survivors, and their families and discuss matters relating to the strengthening and promotion of Holocaust education, remembrance and combatting antisemitism.
The formation of this group coincides with an increase in antisemitic incidents across Australia.
In 2021, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry revealed antisemitic incidents reports in Australia were up 35% on the previous year, largely driven by conspiracy theories and incidents relating to the pandemic.
At the same time, a study by the Gandel Foundation and Deakin University found almost a quarter of Australians aged 18 or older have little to no knowledge of the Holocaust.
The group’s formation follows a motion that received bipartisan support calling for all states and territories to follow the lead of Victoria and New South Wales to make Holocaust education a mandatory aspect of their school curriculum.
The IHRA Friendship Group is co-chaired by MPs Josh Burns (Labor), Julian Lesser (Liberal) and Allegra Spender (Independent).
Josh Burns, Federal Member for Macnamara, said: “I are deeply grateful that so many fellow parliamentarians, ambassadors from IHRA nations all over the world, dignitaries and community leaders joined us for this important occasion.”
“With rising rates of antisemitism and a dwindling Holocaust survivor population the work of the IHRA has never been more important.”
“At the launch we were pleased to announce as a first step we will be writing to all Australian university Vice-Chancellors to encourage them to adopt the IHRA working definition of antisemitism.”
“Australia is a full member of IHRA, and has enjoyed strong support for remembrance and holocaust education across the political aisle.”
“The need for holocaust education is increasing due to rising antisemitism but also due to a dwindling survivor population – it is up to us.”
Julian Leeser, Federal Member for Berowra, added: “In 2019, Australia became the 33rd member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. This unity of nations underscores the importance of confronting evil and educating the next generation of Australians to confront racial prejudice and to oppose antisemitism.”
“On a per capita basis, Australia has been home to more Holocaust survivors than any other nation.
My generation has been fortunate to meet survivors and have heard firsthand the atrocities of the Holocaust. We also heard stories of bravery and inspiration such as that shown by survivors like Eddie Jaku. As the generation of survivors passes on, Holocaust education is more vital than ever.
I am proud to be a co-Chair of the IHRA Friendship Group.”
Federal Member for Wentworth Allegra Spender commented: “The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is a crucial mechanism for ensuring that we continue to remember the Holocaust and never forget the lessons from that tragic event. With the deeply disturbing recent rise in antisemitism across our communities, at both the school and university level, it is clear it is more vital than ever that we stand together to counter antisemitism though education, particularly through institutions such as the Jewish Museums, community outreach and research.
As time passes and demographics change, it is very important to ensure the memories and experiences of Holocaust survivors are not lost to the annals of history.
Australia is a diverse and inclusive society. We must work together to ensure that all our members feel safe and included.”
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council welcomed the creation of the Parliamentary Friends of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance(IHRA),
AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, “We are very grateful to the three MPs who undertook this timely and important initiative, Josh Burns, Julian Leeser, and Allegra Spender. Antisemitism has become a growing scourge across the world, and IHRA, including its landmark working definition of antisemitism, is one of the best tools we have to fight back against it, as our parliamentarians have recognised.
“The friendship group’s planned first action, writing to universities to call attention to the growing problem of antisemitism on campus and urging the adoption of the IHRA working definition as part of the strategy to combat it, is a great example of the effective and positive work that this new body can undertake,“ Rubenstein added.
” AIJAC Director of International and Community Affairs Jeremy Jones, as a guest of the Chair, was one of the first Australians invited to attend and observe a formal meeting of IHRA and also had a role in drafting the EUMC Working Definition of Antisemitism, a precursor to the IHRA definition.”
“noway!!: Jewish organizations, including the religious orders, have done everything they can to build Jewish identity around Zionism. “To be Jewish is to support ‘the Jewish state.’”
If you create such an identity of Zionism and Judaism, then some who don’t like Zionism are going to blame Jews for Palestinian human rights abuses…”