Yad Vashem head warns of rising antisemitism, urges concrete action in Australia
Dani Dayan, Chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, has called for urgent and decisive action against the rising tide of antisemitism in Australia, describing it as a threat that demands strong moral leadership and practical measures.
Jillkian Segal, Dani Dayan and Chris Minns
Dayan, who is in Australia this week and met with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, commended the premier’s recent public stance against antisemitic incidents. “Premier Minns’ statements are powerful and timely, showing that Australia’s leaders are standing up against hate,” Dayan said. “But to effectively counter antisemitism, words must be matched with action. This is a challenge for leaders at every level—federal, state, and local—to build safe, inclusive communities.” He stressed the need for education, law enforcement, and, where necessary, legislative frameworks to reinforce these efforts.
Minns said: “We had a productive discussion about the evil nature of antisemitism. We talked about additional steps that governments and civic institutions can take to arrest this hatred and its threat to our social cohesion.
One of the many important points that were made in our meeting was Dani’s firm view that calls for the elimination of the Jewish State are reprehensible and unacceptable — and they must be called out and condemned in the strongest terms.”
Dayan will be meeting with Jacinta Allen today.
Dayan highlighted education as the “first line of defence against hate,” urging universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. “You cannot combat a disease you don’t know how to detect,” he said. At meetings with University of Sydney Chancellor David Thodey and University of New South Wales Chancellor David Gonski, Dayan discussed collaborations to help staff and students recognise and counter antisemitism effectively.
A central concern, Dayan said, is the “academisation” of antisemitism, a process where universities and academic environments have become breeding grounds for anti-Jewish sentiments cloaked in intellectual language. “What we are witnessing is a disturbing trend where academic language is used to cloak hatred,” he warned. “Terms like genocide, apartheid, and colonialism have been repurposed, not merely to critique Israel but to delegitimise its very existence.” He urged universities not to shield such expressions under the guise of free speech, calling attention to a “double standard” where hate directed at other groups would be swiftly condemned. “If a professor called for the ostracization of LGBTQ+ communities, they would likely face immediate dismissal—and rightly so,” Dayan said. “Yet calls for the elimination of the State of Israel are too often tolerated, with the speaker even promoted.”
Dayan’s visit to Australia is the result of an invitation to deliver the Rosenkranz Oration at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, commemorating the 40th anniversary since its inauguration by his predecessor, Yitzhak Arad. Scheduled for this evening, his oration will focus on “Zahor,” the concept of remembrance. He described Holocaust memory today as resting on four pillars: mourning, knowledge, empathy, and the enduring lessons of the Holocaust. “Empathy is key. We need to feel as if we ourselves had experienced Auschwitz,” he said. “The Holocaust isn’t just a Jewish tragedy; it’s a universal warning about humanity’s capacity for cruelty.”
Reflecting on the generational shift as Holocaust survivor numbers dwindle, Dayan noted, “We’re at a crossroads. The survivors are not only witnesses but a bridge to the events of the Shoah. There is no substitute for personal testimony.” Yad Vashem, he explained, is committed to preserving this legacy through “silent witnesses—documents, artefacts, and recordings—to safeguard historical truth.” Dayan highlighted Yad Vashem’s recent access to Vatican records, granted by Pope Francis, as a critical step in Holocaust research, allowing scholars to uncover new insights from documents previously unavailable to the public.
As Holocaust denial and distortion grow, Dayan said Yad Vashem uses technology with caution to preserve authenticity, stressing that “artificial intelligence is a tool, but it will never replace the irreplaceable impact of survivor testimonies.” He credited Yad Vashem’s “low-tech” exhibition approach with preserving the meaningful connection necessary for remembrance and helping Yad Vashem remain relevant.
During his Australian visit, Dayan has also met with Jillian Segal, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism. He praised Jillian Segal, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, for her work in fighting antisemitism, as well as philanthropist John Gandel for his significant contributions to Holocaust remembrance and education.
He also commended both the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Melbourne Holocaust Museums as “outstanding institutions that stand as beacons of resilience.”
In concluding, he quoted Holocaust scholar Yehuda Bauer who passed away three weeks ago at the age of 98: “The horror of the Holocaust is not that it deviated from human norms; the horror is that it didn’t. What happened may happen again.”
