Rishi Sunak: A global beacon of hope for the Jewish people
Hope is a word that is overused in the modern political dialogue.
UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis (left) and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attend a ceremony at the Finchley United Synagogue in central London for victims and hostages of Hamas attacks in Israel, October 9th, 2023.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary refers to hope as something that “implies little certainty but suggests confidence or assurance in the possibility that what one desires or longs for will happen.” Former US President Barack Obama built his entire political legacy on the idea of hope. In 2016, the American people rejected Obama’s hope-filled agenda and sent Donald Trump straight to the White House in dramatic response. Hope can be dangled as a carrot. A cheap marketing ploy. When not backed up by tangible action, it’s inevitable that despair and pessimism fill the void.
It has been a difficult time for Jewish communities around the world since the tragic events of the 7th of October. Unlike the one-sided, sympathetic pro-Palestinian narrative being peddled by the federal political leadership of the Australian Labor Party and Australian Greens in Canberra, we are witnessing a global beacon of hope for the Jewish people in the United Kingdom. Sometimes, a world leader makes a speech that is so unequivocally supportive of the Jewish people that it makes you pause and feel a sense of badly needed optimism about our place as Jews in the world. The light shines through for a brief moment, and it feels comforting and peaceful. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak did just that, in a speech on the 28th of February.
In an unprecedented rallying cry of support for a frightened and alienated British Jewish Community, Sunak confirmed that the British Government will bring in a “new robust framework” for policing protests in a bid to crackdown on pro-Palestine marches, including revoking visas. How this will play out in practical reality is yet to be seen given the freshness of his words. However, Sunak’s re-balancing of the political narrative to call out such hatred in such a powerful way is encouraging and welcomed.
Sunak is calling out this pro-Palestinian “activism” for what it is, blatant and abhorrent antisemitism challenging the very fabric of western democratic society. In his speech, Sunak was clear and unapologetic in his choice of wording. Specifically, Sunak said the following:
“The Hamas attack of October 7th was the most abhorrent act of terrorism against Israel that any of us have ever known. And it’s been followed by record levels of antisemitism in this country that are utterly, utterly sickening. Don’t let anyone try and tell you this is just a reaction to the response of the Israeli government as unacceptable as that would be. The highest weekly total of antisemitic incidents came before Israel responded. It is hatred pure and simple.”
Sunak is putting his money where his mouth is, allocating a total of £72m to Jewish schools, synagogues, and other community centres to help them beef up security. This will go to the Community Security Trust (CST) – a charity protecting Jewish communities in the UK – to provide security measures until 2028. Where is such support for the Jewish community in Australia? It’s nowhere to be seen.
Sunak is not even Jewish, which makes his support so much more meaningful and powerful. The eery silence from Attorney General Mark Dreyfus KC, MP, and Josh Burns MP, as our lone Jewish representatives in Canberra, is sad and disappointing. Are they towing the party line behind a leader who was a founding member of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine? We will never know. However, one thing is for sure: both Dreyfus and Burns should refer to the Sunak playbook for what unequivocal, authentic support for the Jewish community looks like.
Sadly, Prime Minister Albanese has remained steadfastly silent when it comes to the tidal wave of antisemitic hatred and venom being spat onto Australian Jews from grassroots activists marching in anger against the “colonial oppressor” that is Israel. Rather, his Labor Government is busy issuing visas to Palestinians residing in Gaza to come and live in Australia, without adequate knowledge of their possible links to known terrorist groups such as Hamas. Wrongful compassion. Frightening times for all Australians.
To make matters worse, the Australian Greens have been happily fanning these flames of hatred, passionately supported by antisemitic militants masking as local council representatives across the country. Together, they are (for example) coordinating the blockage of Jewish-owned businesses from trading and ensuring the direct harassment and abuse of Jewish students at Australian Universities.
Albanese will continue to remain predictably silent as this sad state of affairs steadily worsens for Australian Jews, creating fear, uncertainty, and isolationism. Sunak should be fully commended for his words, actions, and sentiments. He should be held as the gold standard prototype for what is required to make Jewish communities in Australia feel heard, acknowledged, and respected for what they are currently experiencing purely for one single fact – they are Jewish.
Albanese should take note of how Sunak offers clinical reassurance and protection to the British Jewish Community, explicitly stating that “when Jewish children are hiding their school uniforms, Jewish students are facing harassment on campuses, the birth certificates of Jewish children are being defaced and Jewish families feel unable to enter the centre of our capital city at the weekend, the whole fabric of our nation is under threat.” This is a threat to the Judeo-Christian values that underpin how we live our lives. Sunak is right and should be listened to by anyone interested in formulating an informed view about the current Israel – Hamas conflict and Israel’s inherent right to exist.
Adam Kreuzer is the Antisemitism Strategies and Education Officer and Board Member, Australian Jewish Association (AJA).
When Sunak promotes the recission of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 as one of the 5 Permanent Members of the Security Council – we will know he is a true friend of the Jewish people. That resolution is filled with Jew-hatred and violates article 80 of the UN Charter – and the UK shamefully voted for it in 2016. Time to rescind it urgently.