Two dichotomies
1 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Education Minister Jason Clare and their cohort frequently state “there is no place for antiSemitism or Islamophobia on our university campuses or anywhere else.”
Why do they bracket antisemitism and Islamophobia when referring to uniquely antisemitic events? I am unaware of any Islamophobic gathering advocating “Israel will be free (of Arabs) from the river to the sea” or promoting killing of Muslims. Every event involving Australian Jews has been peacefully advocating Hamas return the kidnapped civilian hostages. At none of these has there been statements, placards or anything else advocating harm or hatred of Muslims or any other group. Regretfully, the same cannot be said about the antisemitic, “pro-Palestine” events. Another problem with associating antisemitism with Islamophobia is that “anti” is defined as “opposed to; against”, whereas “phobia” is defined as “extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to”. The effects are quite different, as we are unfortunately witnessing in our Universities. Could the current spate of Anti(semitism) by groups supporting Hamas be encouraging (Islamo)phobia? Jewish students are certainly fearful.
2 On Friday, May 3, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was reported holding a “round-table discussion with the country’s leading rabbis”. The meeting between the PM and representatives of the Rabbinical Councils from New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia was held at The Central Synagogue in Sydney. Conspicuously absent from that meeting were rabbis from the Masorti and Progressive synagogues. Are we not facing enough enmity from without our community? Do we need such internal divisions? This snub recalls the banning of (Progressive) Rev Cantor Deutch, OAM, OBM, from singing El Maleh Rachamim at the Yom Hashoah commemoration at Rookwood years ago, because Orthodox rabbonim refused to share a platform with other than orthodox personnel. I was tearful hearing the recording of Rev Cantor Deutsch singing El Maleh Rachamim at Sunday night’s impressive Yom Hashoah commemoration.
If ever there was a time to unite as Jewish Australians it is now.
Alan Slade
Sydney
Couldn’t agree more, Alan Slade. It’s nothing but divisive to only include Orthodox rabbis at these kinds of meetings. And it provides limited feedback to Australian leaders and politicians, limited because these rabbis only represent a percentage of the Jewish communities and do not speak for all Jews.