Antisemitism in Australia
Real antisemitism harms Jews. Political misuse of antisemitism claims harms justice.
Antisemitism is real and Jewish people deserve safety. But genuine concerns are being manipulated by the right wing pro-Israel lobby to silence criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and annexation of the West Bank. This harms everyone: it diminishes real antisemitism and stifles pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover antisemitism in Australia.
Max Kaiser speaks to BBC about Albanese’s response to the Bondi attack
Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to BBC for a story titled “Australian PM announces crackdown on hate speech after Bondi shooting”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. If education initiatives like university scorecards become a form of ideological policing […] they will only make Jews less safe, and do the…
Max Kaiser speaks to Deepcut News about the response to the Bondi attack
Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to Deepcut news for an article titled “Jewish Council urges ‘pushback’ against divisive rhetoric after Bondi attack”. An excerpt from his comments is below: It’s clear we are all hurting and all see the great danger of this moment. The worst thing that could happen now would be responses…
Media Release: Unity, safety and prevention — not fulfilling divisive pro-Israel wishlist — must guide the Government’s response to Bondi attack
In the wake of the horrific antisemitic attack in Bondi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today made a series of announcements in regard to combatting antisemitism and stated that the Government would enact the Antisemitism envoy’s divisive and controversial plan. This is a week of profound grief for Jewish people and the entire nation. We mourn…
Sarah Schwartz appears on Jewish Currents podcast: Processing the Attack at Bondi Beach
Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently appeared on the “On The Nose” podcast by Jewish Currents episode titled “Processing the Attack at Bondi Beach”. Below is a description of the episode from the show-notes: On this episode of On the Nose, Jewish Currents editor-in-chief Arielle Angel and senior editor Mari Cohen spoke with Sarah Schwartz, the…
Max Kaiser speaks to CNN: after Bondi, how do we move forward?
Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to CNN about the Bondi massacre. See an excerpt from his segment below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jewish Council of Australia (@jewishcouncil) Click here to watch the excerpt on Instagram.
Bart Shteinman speaks at vigil for Bondi massacre
Executive Member Bart Shteinman recently spoke at a vigil for the Bondi massacre. Below is an excerpt from his speech. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jewish Council of Australia (@jewishcouncil) Click here to watch the excerpt on Instagram.
Sarah Schwartz appears on ABC News breakfast to discuss the Bondi attack
Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently appeared on ABC News breakfast to discuss the Bondi attack. Below is an excerpt clip from her appearance. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jewish Council of Australia (@jewishcouncil) Click here to watch the excerpt on Jewish Council’s Instagram page.
Media Release: Mass shooting at Chanukah event in Bondi
We are horrified and shaken in the wake of the mass shooting at a Chanukah event in Bondi this evening, which has left at least ten people dead and injured many more. This is the first night of Chanukah when we gather with loved ones and friends to light the Chanukiah. Many within our community have…
Jewish Coalition Opposes Anti-Democratic Antisemitism Plan, Calls for United, Whole-of Society Approach
November 14, 2025 The Jewish Council of Australia joins a coalition of nine Jewish organisations in releasing an open letter urging the Australian Government to reject the plan proposed by Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism (ASECA plan). It warns that the plan risks undermining Australia’s democratic freedoms like freedom of expression and will not…
Sarah Schwartz speaks to SMH about the neo-Nazi protest
Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to SMH for a piece titled “What we just witnessed was state-sanctioned Nazism”. An excerpt of her comments quoted in the article is below: They are clearly trying to intimidate, but I refuse to be intimidated by these pathetic young men who have joined a cult. But I am…
Sarah Schwartz speaks to The Guardian about the neo-Nazi rally
Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to The Guardian for a piece titled “NSW police accused of ‘sickening’ double standard over neo-Nazi rally as Jewish groups demand answers”. An excerpt from her quoted comments is below: We’ve seen entirely inconsistent police responses when it comes to addressing far-right extremism and when it comes to addressing…
Sarah Schwartz speaks to ABC news about the neo-Nazi protest
Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to ABC News Breakfast about the neo-Nazi protest. An excerpt from her comments is below We’ve been telling the government for a really long time that it needs to take the threat of far right extremism and neo-Nazism seriously instead of focussing on protest movements. Click here to watch…
