# Jewish Council of Australia


## Posts

- [Max Kaiser speaks to ABC Drive Sydney about the government's hate speech bill](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2026/01/max-kaiser-speaks-to-abc-drive-sydney-about-the-governments-hate-speech-bill): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to ABC Drive Sydney about the government’s hate speech bill. Below is an excerpt from his appearance. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jewish Council of Australia (@jewishcouncil) Click here to listen to the excerpt directly on our Instagram page.
- [Media Release: Jewish Council urges pause on rushed and dangerous hate speech Bill ](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2026/01/media-release-jewish-council-urges-pause-on-rushed-and-dangerous-hate-speech-bill): The Jewish Council is concerned by a number of the proposed measures in the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill that will be tabled this Monday, and urges the Government to undertake extensive consultation before moving forward. Lack of real consultation risks a bill that is both harmful to human rights and ineffective against the racism it claims to target. Approaches which centre on criminalisation and migration powers cannot meaningfully address racism and antisemitism as they treat racism as an individual pathology to be punished rather than a systemic problem that must be prevented through education, leadership, accountability and sustained […]
- [Antony Loewenstein quoted by NBC about the government's response to the Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/antony-loewenstein-quoted-by-nbc-about-the-governments-response-to-the-bondi-attack): Advisory Committee member Antony Loewenstein was recently quoted by NBC for a story titled “‘It’ll never be the same again’: Bondi Beach attack shatters life for Australia’s Jewish residents”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. I think [the laws are] an absolute abomination. They are rushed, not thought through, and they’re arguably unconstitutional. Click here to read the full story.
- [Ohad Kozminsky speaks to SBS about Isaac Herzog's proposed visit](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/ohad-kozminsky-speaks-to-sbs-about-isaac-herzogs-proposed-visit): Executive member Ohad Kozminsky recently spoke to SBS for a story titled “Israeli president’s planned post-Bondi-attack visit to Australia draws mixed reaction”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. A visit from the head of a foreign country that has been committing genocide will only inflame tensions and exacerbate division in our community. That is why we and many other Australian Jews won’t take comfort from this proposed visit. Click here to read the full story.
- [Ohad Kozminsky speaks to Canberra Times about the proposed laws in response to the Bondi massacre](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/ohad-kozminsky-speaks-to-canberra-times-about-the-new-laws): Executive member Ohad Kozminsky recently spoke to Canberra Times for a story titled “Canberra’s pro-Palestine Jews want freedom of speech protected in new laws”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. It is not a contradiction to be horrified by the massacre of Bondi and to be entirely against it and at the same time stand up for the basic human rights of the Palestinian people. Click here to read the full story (requires subscription).
- [Naama Blatman and Antony Loewenstein speak to al Jazeera for story "The spin and misinformation around Bondi was inevitable"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/naama-blatman-and-antony-loewenstein-speak-to-al-jazeera-for-story-the-spin-and-misinformation-around-bondi-was-inevitable): Executive Member Naama Blatman and Advisory Committee Antony Loewenstein recently spoke to al Jazeera for a story titled “The spin and misinformation around Bondi was inevitable”. Below is al Jazeera’s description of the segment: The horrific Bondi Beach attack in Australia was pulled into Israel’s global information war this past week. As blame was directed towards pro-Palestine politics, media narratives blurred Jewish identity and Israeli state policy – raising urgent questions about who is put at risk when Israel’s anti-Palestinian messaging travels beyond its borders. Click here to watch the full story on the al Jazeera website.
- [Antony Loewenstein column in Middle East Eye: "Israel's propaganda machine endangers every Jew on the planet - including me"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/antony-loewenstein-column-in-middle-east-eye-israels-propaganda-machine-endangers-every-jew-on-the-planet-including-me): Advisory Committee member Antony Loewenstein recently had a piece published in Middle East Eye “Israel’s propaganda machine endangers every Jew on the planet – including me”. Below is an excerpt from the start of the piece: Within hours of the horrific, antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney this month, the Israeli government and its proxies started pushing false narratives, outright lies and racism to a grieving nation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior Israeli ministers blamed an Australian government that “normalised boycotts against Jews”, recognised the state of Palestine this year, and refused to shut down pro-Palestine marches. Click […]
- [Green Left covers Jewish Council Chanukah vigil](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/green-left-covers-jewish-council-chanukah-vigil): Green Left recently published a story about the Jewish Council-hosted Chanukah vigil titled “Naarm community unites for Chanukah vigil”. Below is an excerpt from the start of the story. More than 300 people gathered for a Chanukah vigil called by the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) in Naarm/Melbourne on December 21 to commemorate the lives lost in the Bondi massacre. Originally planned to be a Chanukah celebration celebrating the final days of the festival. It was changed to a vigil responding to the tragic events at Bondi. Click here to read the full story.
- [Dr Naama Blatman quoted in SBS and The Guardian about Minns' protest ban](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/dr-naama-blatman-quoted-in-sbs-about-minns-protest-ban): Executive Member Dr Naama Blatman was recently quoted by SBS and the Guardian. Below is an excerpt from her comments: We call on the Minns government and members of the NSW parliament not to politicise our grief and not to capitalise on our tragedy, not to pass laws that stifle our freedoms and punish us for our commitment to justice. We can only heal and recover from this tragedy and ensure that our communities are safe by standing together as an entire community against hateful atrocities. Click here to read the SBS story “‘Tinderbox’ could set fire: Minns defends protest […]
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks at the Bondi massacre community vigil](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/sarah-schwartz-speaks-at-community-vigil): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz spoke at the interfaith and intercommunity vigil on Sunday night to mourn the victims of the Bondi massacre. Below is an excerpt from her speech. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jewish Council of Australia (@jewishcouncil) Click here to watch the excerpt on Instagram.
- [Join the call for unity and sign our petition: We will not be divided after Bondi](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/we-will-not-be-divided-after-bondi): Last night should have been a Chanukah celebration. Instead, hundreds of us gathered in Melbourne to mourn and say kaddish for our community members murdered at Bondi a week ago. After a week of sleepless nights, circling the same grief, I’ve been wondering how our community finds its way back after an act of such profound violence. Last night we came together as Jews, with our allies — Muslim, Palestinian, Christian, Buddhist, First Nations — in a powerful expression of collective mourning. And today we’ve launched a petition calling for unity.
- [Mas Kaiser quoted by SBS about the rise of the far right in Australia](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/mas-kaiser-quoted-by-sbs-about-the-rise-of-the-far-right-in-australia): Executive Officer Max Kaiser was recently quoted in an SBS story titled “From fringe to frontline: How Australia’s far right gained mainstream attention in 2025”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. The hate these fascists feel for Jews is the same hate they show for First Nations Australians, Muslims, queer people and many others…[i]t’s a serious societal issue that we need to tackle Click here to read the full story.
- [Bart Shteinman speaks to ABC about his reflections on the aftermath of the Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/bart-shteinman-speaks-to-abc-about-his-reflections-on-the-aftermath-of-the-bondi-attack): Executive Member Bart Shteinman recently spoke to the ABC for a piece titled “In the darkest week, the search for the light begins”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. In the context of everything that’s happened over the last two years, we are an incredibly divided community. Those divisions cut through families. I have family members I can’t speak to right now, even after this, because of those divisions Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser speaks to ABC: How to turn feelings of helplessness into support after the Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/max-kaiser-speaks-to-abc-how-to-turn-feelings-of-helplessness-into-support-after-the-bondi-attack): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to ABC for a story titled “How to turn feelings of helplessness into support after the Bondi attack”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. We need a collective community response to these horrific events[…]We really need people to understand that racism can’t be solved with more racism. Click here to read the full story.
- [Sarah Schwartz appears on The Beinart Notebook: After the Bondi Chanukah Massacre](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/sarah-schwartz-appears-on-the-beinart-notebook-after-the-bondi-chanukah-massacre): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently appeared on The Beinart Notebook on an episode titled “After the Bondi Chanukah Massacre”. Click here to watch her appearance. (Full episode requires subscription but a 10 minute excerpt is available for free.)
- [Max Kaiser speaks to The Guardian about NSW Labor's response to the Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/max-kaiser-speaks-to-the-guardian-about-nsw-labors-response-to-the-bondi-attack): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to The Guardian for an article titled “‘Protests had nothing to do with the attacks’: activists condemn premier’s plan to restrict rallies after Bondi shooting”. An excerpt from his quoted comments is below: It’s disturbing that the media and politicians are maligning this movement when there exists very real sources of antisemitism on the far right, including neo-Nazis and the proliferation of extreme antisemitic propaganda on social media Click here to read the full article.
- [Max Kaiser speaks to BBC about Albanese's response to the Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/max-kaiser-speaks-to-bbc-about-albaneses-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 opposite of combating antisemitism Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser speaks to The Guardian about Labor's plan to combat antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/max-kaiser-speaks-to-the-guardian-about-labors-plan-to-combat-antisemitism): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to the Guardian for a story titled “Peak Jewish body calls Labor’s plan to combat antisemitism an essential ‘first step’ but some warn it risks division”. An excerpt from his comments is below. Our grief should not be used as a political weapon, nor as an excuse to pursue agendas that divide communities Click here to read the full article.
- [New piece by Tahlia Bowen in Cheek Media -  "After Bondi: In grief, we must come together"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/new-piece-by-tahlia-bowen-in-cheek-media-after-bondi-in-grief-we-must-come-together): Jewish Council member Tahlia Bowen has recently had a piece published in Cheek Media titled “After Bondi: In grief, we must come together”. An excerpt from the start is below: I didn’t reach for my phone as easily on Monday morning. Instead, I let my alarm ring out, dreading what might have transpired during my fitful night’s sleep. Judaism teaches us that every life is a universe, and as calls and texts went unanswered, I carried the fear of another shattered universe. Click here to read the full piece.
- [Max Kaiser speaks to Deepcut News about the response to the Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/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 that demonise people and further empower the far right. Click here to read the full article.
- [Media Release: Unity, safety and prevention — not fulfilling divisive pro-Israel wishlist — must guide the Government’s response to Bondi attack](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/media-release-unity-safety-and-prevention-not-fulfilling-divisive-pro-israel-wishlist-must-guide-the-governments-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 the lives of the victims and stand with their families, loved ones and everyone traumatised by the Bondi attack. No policy response from the government should lose sight of the human cost of this violence. We welcome the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that more could have […]
- [Sarah Schwartz appears on Jewish Currents podcast: Processing the Attack at Bondi Beach](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/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 Melbourne-based executive officer of the new progressive, independent Jewish organization the Jewish Council of Australia. They parsed the various responses, from Australia to the US to Israel; explored the folly of conflating the ideology of the Islamic State with Palestinian national or solidarity politics; and […]
- [Chanukah - Vigil and candle lighting - Melbourne/Naarm](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/chanukah-vigil-and-candle-lighting-melbourne-naarm): The Jewish Council planned to hold a Chanukah celebration this Sunday 21st of December, but our community is still reeling after the terrifying attack on the Chanukah gathering in Bondi. Many of us know people who were impacted, and all of us have experienced this as an attack on our community as a whole, and on our right to assemble and celebrate our traditions. In this moment, it is important to hold each other close, so we’ve chosen to gather, but in the form of a vigil. We will use this time to gather in community, mourn for those lost […]
- [Max Kaiser speaks to CNN: after Bondi, how do we move forward?](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/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](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/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](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/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](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/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 just received the worst news of their lives. Others are caring for injured loved ones, and some are still waiting to hear that their families are safe. Bart Shteinman, Executive MemberWe should all be able to gather with our communities, practice our culture, and worship […]
- [Max Kaiser speaks to ABC: "Palestine necklace a 'political symbol' claims council"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/12/max-kaiser-speaks-to-abc-palestine-necklace-a-political-symbol-claims-council): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to the ABC for a story titled “Palestine necklace a ‘political symbol’ claims council”. Below is an excerpt from his comments in the story. The map of historical Palestine is where Palestinian people come from…having a map of historic Palestine or Palestine as a whole is not offensive. Click here to listen to story on the ABC website.
- [Online event: Organising in the Jewish diaspora during a time of genocide](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/online-event-organising-in-the-jewish-diaspora-during-a-time-of-genocide): We invite you to join us at 10 am (AEDT) on December 7 for a critical conversation – Organising in the Jewish Diaspora in a Time of Genocide: Lessons from Australia, the UK, and the US. Hear from key organisers from the global Jewish movement fighting Israel’s genocidal efforts in Palestine to share strategies, discuss challenges, and build the global solidarity needed for the fight ahead. We are thrilled to be able to host:
- [Sydney Chanukah Community Day 2025/5786](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/sydney-chanukah-community-day-2025-5786): Jewish Council Chanukah Community Day: A Light for Dark Times The Jewish Council of Australia invites you to a community Chanukah gathering! There will be something for everyone: eating, kids activities, crafts, more eating, dreidel spinning, and lighting chanukiot. Please bring a plate to share if you’re able. All are welcome as we gather, eat, and remember that together we can create light and hope even in our darkest moments. Where: Sydney/Gadigal – near Northcode Road at Bicentennial Park, GlebeDate: 14th DecemberTime: 3pm onwards All are welcome!
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to SBS for story "Melbourne event celebrating Israeli pager attack sparks outrage"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/sarah-schwartz-speaks-to-sbs-for-story-melbourne-event-celebrating-israeli-pager-attack-sparks-outrage): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to SBS for a story titled “Melbourne event celebrating Israeli pager attack sparks outrage”. An excerpt from her quoted comments is below: The images associated with the event that I have seen…cartoons, guns, pitching it as this family friendly event, I think that that’s really concerning beacuse it means that they’re bringing children into their ideology. Click here to watch the story on YouTube or use the embedded player below:
- [Chanukah Community Day 2025/5786](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/chanukah-community-day-2025-5786): This event has been changed to a Chanukah vigil and candle lighting to gather in community, mourn for those lost and express solidarity in person. See the updated event details here. Jewish Council Chanukah Community Day: A Light for Dark Times The Jewish Council of Australia invites you to a community Chanukah gathering and pot luck dinner! There will be something for everyone: discussions, candle making, latke cooking (and eating!), kids activities, crafts, more eating, dreidel spinning, and lighting chanukiot. All are welcome as we gather, eat, and remember that together we can create light and hope even in our […]
- [Jewish Coalition Opposes Anti-Democratic Antisemitism Plan, Calls for United, Whole-of Society Approach](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/jewish-coalition-opposes-anti-democratic-antisemitism-plan-calls-for-united-whole-of-society-approach-new-victorian-protest-laws-still-threaten-democracy): 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 combat antisemitism effectively.  The Jewish coalition recognises the presence and threat of antisemitism and urges the government to  address it as part of a comprehensive response to religious and racial hatred in Australia, rather than in  isolation.  The Jewish organisations, including the Jewish Council of […]
- [New Victorian Protest Laws Still Threaten Democracy](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/new-victorian-protest-laws-still-threaten-democracy): November 12, 2025 The Jewish Council of Australia welcomes the decision of the Victorian Government to step back from the harshest versions of its proposed anti-protest laws, including a ban on face coverings at protests.  This is a partial victory for civil society, and for the more than 1,000 Australian Jews who signed our petition calling on the government to drop these anti-democratic measures. However, we remain deeply concerned about the expansion of police powers under the new laws, which will allow police to order protesters to remove face coverings, impose fines, and criminalise the use of “attachment devices” like […]
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to SMH about the neo-Nazi protest](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/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 terrified by the normalisation of this hate Click here to read the full piece (requires SMH subscription).
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to The Guardian about the neo-Nazi rally](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/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 other forms of political expression Click here to read the full piece.
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to ABC news about the neo-Nazi protest](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/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 the story on the Jewish Council’s Instagram page.
- [Max Kaiser quoted on SBS about the protest law review in light of the recent neo-Nazi rally](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/max-kaiser-quoted-on-sbs-about-the-protest-law-review-in-light-of-the-recent-neo-nazi-rally): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to SBS News for a piece titled “Police authorisation of Sydney neo-Nazi demonstration sparks calls for protest law review”. Below is an excerpt of his comments quoted in the piece: Rather than giving police more power, the Jewish Council calls for united action to combat the far-right and root out the racism it breeds across society. Click here to read the full story.
- [Photos from Solidarity Sukkah](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/11/photos-from-solidarity-sukkah)
- [Sara Dowse review of "Marseille 1940: The Flight of Literature"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/sara-dowse-review-of-marseille-1940-the-flight-of-literature): Advisory Committee member Sara Dowse has recently had piece published in Inside Story titled Perilous refuge: Uwe Wittstock’s Marseille 1940 is a marvel of narrative art, a “fascinating account of the thousands of rescues” of Jews from the Holocaust by the Emergency Rescue Committee. Click here to read the full piece.
- [Diaspora Jewish Leaders Urge Action Against Israel as it Orders Strikes on Gaza and Advances West Bank Annexation](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/diaspora-jewish-leaders-urge-action-against-israel-as-it-orders-strikes-on-gaza-and-advances-west-bank-annexation): October 29, 2025 The Netanyahu government has ordered strikes on Gaza killing nine people, violating the ceasefire for the second time after less than three weeks at the same time as the Parliament votes to advance bills that would annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.  Over the course of just one week, the Israeli military has expanded assaults on Gaza, attacks in Lebanon and advanced annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank. These actions amount to deliberate violations of the ceasefire in Gaza and what the ICJ has ruled a flagrant breach of orders to permit aid […]
- [Sarah Schwartz op ed in The Guardian: "When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/sarah-schwartz-op-ed-in-the-guardian-when-you-first-heard-me-speak-against-this-genocide-you-heard-my-words-as-betrayal-but-they-were-meant-as-love): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently had an op ed published in The Guardian titled “When you first heard me speak against this genocide, you heard my words as betrayal. But they were meant as love”. An excerpt from the beginning of the piece is below: To those I have lost – the teachers, mentors, loved ones – who once taught me what it was to be Jewish. Those who once shared my table, yet now sit on the other side of a deep chasm. I write with hesitation. My words have been twisted before. But silence has become its own […]
- [Ohad Kozminsky appears on ABC discussing Christian Zionists' interpretation of Israel as the "promised land"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/ohad-kozminsky-appears-on-abc-discussing-christian-zionists-interpretation-of-israel-as-the-promised-land): Executive Member Ohad Kozminsky recently appeared on ABC’s Pacific Soul program. From the episode description: Ohad Kozminsky, executive member of the Jewish Council of Australia, says Israel was never a “promised land” and debunks the claims put forward by Christian Zionists, explaining his interpretation of the Torah. ‘Click here to listen to (or download) the full program on the ABC website.
- [Two years on: as long as Israel’s genocide continues, our responsibility remains](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/two-years-on-as-long-as-israels-genocide-continues-our-responsibility-remains): October 7, 2025 This week marks two years since Israel began its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and two years since the Hamas-led attacks that killed over 1,000 people in Israel and saw hundreds taken hostage. As talks over a new “peace plan” begin, this anniversary is a reminder that peace and safety will never be achieved without Palestinian rights to self-determination, equality and freedom — and an immediate end to Israel’s occupation, apartheid and genocide. Two years on, Israel’s genocide in Gaza has obliterated entire neighbourhoods, families, and anything that could sustain Palestinian life. Hospitals, schools, and refugee camps […]
- [Bart Shteinman speaks at interfaith panel on combatting all forms of racism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/bart-shteinman-speaks-at-interfaith-panel-on-combatting-all-forms-of-racism): Executive Member Bart Shteinman recently spoke at interfaith panel on combatting racism hosted by the Anglican Church. Below is an excerpt from the start of his speech: I’m going to ask you to imagine yourself in Footscray Melbourne, December 1938. A Yorta Yorta man, William Cooper, is leading a 10km march of his fellow Indigenous activists from the Aboriginal Advancement League across Melbourne. Not in protest against the treatment of Aboriginals, and in 1930s Australia there was plenty to protest about on that front. In fact, William Cooper was leading a march to the German Consulate to, in their words, […]
- [Max Kaiser speaks to Deepcut News about Jillian Segal](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/10/max-kaiser-speaks-to-deepcut-news-about-jillian-segal): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to Deepcut News for a story titled “Exclusive – Jillian Segal declared conflicts for Envoy role. Why won’t the government reveal them?”. Below is an excerpt from his statements published in the story. Segal’s conflicts of interest highlight exactly why her appointment in a role supposedly meant to combat racism is so problematic. Someone tied to the Israeli arms trade and with continued involvement in the Executive Council of Australian Jewry – an organisation that has backed Israel’s genocide to the hilt and that routinely conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism – cannot credibly […]
- [Bart Shteinman speaks to ABC Radio Canberra about Rosh Hashanah](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/bart-shteinman-speaks-to-abc-radio-canberra-about-rosh-hashanah): Bart Shteinman recently spoke to ABC for the show Canberra Mornings about what Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year means for him and for Jews everywhere who are opposing Israel’s genocide. Click here to listen to the show on the ABC website.
- [On Revolution – in Palestine, Syria and beyond](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/on-revolution-in-palestine-syria-and-beyond): What is a revolution, exactly? Where and how does it begin, and, perhaps more importantly, how does it end? This event is not the usual story of revolution: one of Kings and Generals, grand military or revolutionary acts, Che Guevara or Ahmed al-Sharaa style military fatigues and the storming of the capital. Rather, this event is about small “r” revolution and revolutionary acts done by “ordinary” people in extraordinary times. Hosted by the Jewish Council of Australia and chaired by Dr Louise Olliff, join panelists Dr Samah Sabawi, Louna Ghawi and Dr Marika Sosnowski as they discuss revolution in Palestine, […]
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to Ette Media about News Corp's treatment of Jewish Council's "stop starving Gaza" ad](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/sarah-schwartz-speaks-to-ette-media-about-news-corps-treatment-of-jewish-councils-stop-starving-gaza-ad): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to Ette Media about News Corp’s treatment of Jewish Council’s “stop starving Gaza” ad. Below is her apperance on the “We Used to be Journos” podcast with Jan Fran and Antoinette Lattouf. The segment about the Jewish Council’s ad starts around 13:30. Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts. Click here to watch on YouTube (or see the embedded video below):
- [Tashlich 5786/2025 with the Jewish Council](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/tashlich-5786-2025-with-the-jewish-council): The Jewish New Year period is once again upon us, and this year the Jewish Council will be holding an open gathering for Tashlich. There will also be some informal discussion after the ceremony. When: Sun 28th Sep 2025, 3:30pm-5:30pmWhere: Alexandra Gardens, MelbourneCost: A $5 donation to Olive Kids (+ processing fee) Click here to see full details and register.
- [Max Kaiser speaks to SBS about Australia's recognition of Palestine at the UN](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/max-kaiser-speaks-to-sbs-about-australias-recognition-of-palestine-at-the-un): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to SBS for a story titled “Australia recognises Palestinian state at the UN”. An excerpt of his comments from the story: It certainly puts Australia at odds with Israel and the United States, but I think that’s to be welcomed. The real problem with this move is that it sort of tries to do a ‘both sides’ sort of issue and then treat them going forward as equal states. It just has no bearing on the actual power situation on the ground, because Israel controls the whole territory from the Mediterranean Sea to the […]
- [Recognition of Palestine not enough, Sanctions Must Follow to Stop Genocide](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/jewish-council-launches-ad-campaign-demanding-government-sanction-israel-for-genocide-condemns-australian-complicity-2): Media Release For immediate release: 22 September 2025 Recognition of Palestine not enough, Sanctions Must Follow to Stop Genocide SYDNEY – The Jewish Council of Australia affirms the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to self-determination—a right that has been systematically denied by the Israeli state. Australia’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine is a response to the growing groundswell of public support for Palestinian rights across this country. The Australian government must ensure that ‘recognition’ is not merely symbolic. It needs to be combined with immediate action, including sanctions, to help end Israel’s ongoing genocide and the deliberate starvation of […]
- [Jewish Council's Newscorp ad (and its backlash) covered by Haaretz](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/jewish-councils-newscorp-ad-and-its-backlash-covered-by-haaretz): Haaretz recently published an article about the Jewish Council’s Newscorp ad (and its backlash) titled “Progressive Jewish Australian Group Sparks Backlash With Ads Urging Sanctions on Israel”. An excerpt from the article quoting Executive Officer Max Kaiser is below: We’ve never claimed to represent the Jewish community as a whole, and we think that no Jewish organization should because, you know, I didn’t vote for Alex Ryvchin; no one did. Click here to read the full article (requires registration).
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to The Guardian about the Jewish Council's News Corp ad](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/sarah-schwartz-speaks-to-the-guardian-about-the-jewish-councils-news-corp-ad): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to The Guardian about the Jewish Council’s News Corp ad. An excerpt from her comments is below: Our ad really disrupts the message that all Jews support Israel and the message frequently put forward in News Corp newspapers that any criticism of Israel is antisemitic. We have to keep persevering to have our voices heard in spaces where they otherwise wouldn’t be heard. We can’t give up on News Corp’s readership – this is a human issue. Click here to read the full story.
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to ABC Radio Melbourne about the Jewish Council's News Corp ad](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/sarah-schwartz-speaks-to-abc-radio-melbourne-about-the-jewish-councils-news-corp-ad): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to ABC Radio Melbourne about the Jewish Council’s News Corp ad “calling for our government to sanction Israel NOW for the genocide in Gaza”. Click here to listen to the interview on the Jewish Council’s Instagram page.
- [Jewish Council launches ad campaign Demanding Government Sanction Israel for Genocide, Condemns Australian Complicity](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/jewish-council-launches-ad-campaign-demanding-government-sanction-israel-for-genocide-condemns-australian-complicity): September 18 2025 The Jewish Council of Australia has today launched a national campaign with adverts in the Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun featuring the faces of hundreds of Australian Jews, calling on the Australian government to take drastic action to halt Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people.  As part of this campaign, the Jewish Council is also launching a petition demanding Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong take immediate action to remedy its complicity.  The Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun suspended the ad yesterday, which we suspect was to prepare a ridiculous hit pieceon the Jewish Council, […]
- [Max Kaiser speaks to Crikey about the shutting of Meanjin](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/max-kaiser-speaks-to-crikey-about-the-shutting-of-meanjin): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to Crikey for a story titled “Who killed Meanjin?”. An excerpt from his quote in the article is below: [Meanjin’s] loss is not just a literary blow. It signals a narrowing of public debate and unfortunately a chilling message to people daring to support the publication of inconvenient truths. I do not know exactly what the machinations were that led to the decision to close Meanjin, but I think we should all be very disturbed by it. Click here to read the full article.
- [Dennis Altman review of "58 Facets: On Law, Violence and Revolution" in Inside Story](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/dennis-altman-review-of-58-facets-on-law-violence-and-revolution-in-inside-story): Advisory Committee member Professor Dennis Altman has recently published a review of 58 Facets: On Law, Violence and Revolution in Inside Story. An excerpt from the start of the review is below: At the risk of oversimplification, there are two Jewish responses to the current devastation in Palestine: the tribal and the humanist. Sadly we have witnessed many cases of the first, an eagerness to clamp down on critics of Israel’s war in Gaza. Marika Sosnowski is a good example of the second. Click here to read the full review.
- [Antony Loewenstein releases documentary: "Germany’s Israel Obsession"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/antony-loewenstein-releases-documentary-germanys-israel-obsession): Advisory Committee member Antony Loewenstein recently released a documentary titled “Germany’s Israel Obsession”. Below is an excerpt from the introduction of the video on Al Jazeera’s YouTube channel Prominent Jewish Australian journalist Antony Loewenstein returns to his ancestral home, Germany, to investigate how the country’s impulse never to repeat the horrendous anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust has resulted in the suppression of any criticism of Israel and its actions in Gaza. Click here to watch the full video on YouTube, you can also view the embedded video below.
- [Antony Loewenstein speaks to the ABC about Germany's Gaza protest crackdowns](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/antony-loewenstein-speaks-to-the-abc-about-germanys-gaza-protest-crackdowns): Advisory Committee Antony Loewenstein recently spoke to the ABC’s David Marr for a story titled “What’s behind Germany’s Gaza protest crackdowns?”. Below is the description of the episode: In a new documentary for Al Jazeera, Jewish-Australian journalist Antony Loewenstein return to his ancestral home, Germany, to investigate how the country’s impulse never to repeat the horrendous anti-Semitism that led to the Holocaust has resulted in the suppression of any criticism of Israel and its actions in Gaza. Click here to listen to the episode on the ABC website.
- [Antony Loewenstein speaks at the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties annual dinner](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/antony-loewenstein-speaks-at-the-new-south-wales-council-for-civil-liberties-annual-dinner): Advisory Committee Antony Loewenstein recently spoke at the New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties annual dinner. Below is an excerpt from the start of the speech: Here’s a thought experiment. Imagine if at least 60,000 Jews had been murdered in the last two years. The perpetrator was a self-described democracy with full Western backing. Armed to the teeth by Washington, London and Canberra. And, every day, we’d see the photos and videos of this genocidal state killing, maiming and starving the Jewish population. Click here to read the full text of the speech, as published on Deepcut News.
- [Petition: Sanction Israel for Genocide in Gaza](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/petition-sanction-israel-for-genocide-in-gaza): To: The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong. We, the undersigned, call on the Australian Government to take immediate and decisive action in response to Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza and its deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war. The world’s leading genocide scholars have concluded that Israel’s actions meet the legal definition of genocide. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed the existence of a man-made famine. The International Court of Justice has adopted provisional measures for Israel to take steps that would […]
- [Max Kaiser speaks to Deepcut News about the Gold Coast mayoral summit](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/max-kaiser-speaks-to-deepcut-news-about-the-gold-coast-mayoral-summit): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to Deepcut News about the Gold Coast mayoral summit for a piece titled “Watermelons deemed an antisemitic symbol at pro-Israel mayoral summit”. An excerpt from his comments in the piece: Attendees who are pretending this conference is anything but an anti-Palestinian hatefest should be ashamed of themselves. This material is more than counter-productive to the real fight against antisemitism. Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser quoted in ABC about the Gold Coast Antisemitism Summit](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/max-kaiser-quoted-in-abc-about-the-gold-coast-antisemitism-summit): Executive Officer Max Kaiser was recently quoted bu the ABC in a piece about the Gold Coast Antisemitism Summit titled “Hatred must be fought ‘where we live our lives’, says antisemitism envoy”. An excerpt from his comments is below: [Boycotting the event is] the right thing to do given the blind support for Israel’s war by conference organisers. Click here to read the piece.
- [Conversation with Rachel Shabi](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/conversation-with-rachel-shabi): Below is the recording of our event Off White: The Truth about Antisemitism – a Jewish Council Conversation with Rachel Shabi: You can also click here to watch the event directly on YouTube.
- [Statement: Jewish Council stands with First Nations people](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/09/statement-jewish-council-stands-with-first-nations-people): September 1, 2025 The Jewish Council of Australia stands with First Nations people after the cowardly Nazi attack on Camp Sovereignty. Our struggles against racism, fascism and the ongoing colonisation of this land are bound together. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.
- [Statement: White supremacist rallies threaten us all](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/statement-white-supremacist-rallies-threaten-us-all): August 31, 2025 The “March for Australia” rallies planned for Sunday 31 August are organised by white supremacists, with heavy involvement from Neo-Nazis. As Jews, we know the dangers of white supremacist ideologies. We stand in solidarity with First Nations peoples and all other communities targeted by the far-right. We stand on a Jewish tradition of combating fascism, antisemitism and all forms of racism. The same conservative media that have promoted these racist rallies are the same outlets that pretend to care about antisemitism and pit our community against others. Over the past 22 months, millions of people across the […]
- [CAMPAIGN: Is your mayor attending a far-right junket?](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/campaign-is-your-mayor-attending-a-far-right-junket): Across the country, our local mayors and councillors are being offered all-expenses-paid trips to a so-called “antisemitism summit” on the Gold Coast, run by a far-right, US-based lobby group called the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM). This isn’t a genuine effort to fight antisemitism. It’s a political junket designed to push a one-sided, pro-Israel agenda and silence criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians by conflating it with antisemitism. The summit’s organisers and speakers reveal its true nature. It features Jeff Schoep, the former head of a US neo-Nazi organisation, and is co-chaired by a man whose family trust donated $50,000 […]
- [Max Kaiser speaks to Deepcut News about Lorraine Finlay's attendance at the Antisemitism Summit](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/max-kaiser-speaks-to-deepcut-news-about-lorraine-finlays-attendance-at-the-antisemitism-summit): Executive Officer Max Kaiser recently spoke to Deepcut News for an article titled “Australian Human Rights Commissioner to speak at ‘antisemitism summit’ featuring former neo-Nazi”. An excerpt of his quoted comments is below: Genuine efforts to tackle antisemitism must be grounded in universal human rights and solidarity against all forms of racism, not in attempts to shield Israel from accountability Click here to read the full article.
- [Media Release: Jewish Council condemn mayors’ and councillors’ junket to far-right “antisemitism summit”](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/media-release-jewish-council-condemn-mayors-and-councillors-junket-to-far-right-antisemitism-summit): August 23, 2025 Mayors and councillors — elected to represent their communities — are being offered free flights, accommodation, and meals to attend a Gold Coast “antisemitism summit” this September backed by far-right pro-Israel political groups. The Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, run by the US-based Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), is being billed as a community safety initiative. In reality, it is a pro-Israel political junket designed to push a one-sided political agenda, silencing legitimate criticism of Israel by conflating it with antisemitism. CAM is funded by Republican mega-donors and is well-known for smearing pro-Palestine academics. It has backed Trump’s […]
- [Max Kaiser quoted by Canberra Times regarding Netanyahu's criticism of the PM](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/max-kaiser-quoted-by-canberra-times-regarding-netanyahus-criticism-of-the-pm): Executive Officer Max Kaiser was recently quoted by Canberra Times in an article titled “Jewish group decries ‘reckless’ Netanyahu attacks on PM”. An excerpt of his quoted comments is below: Benjamin Netanyahu does not speak for Australian Jews. His attack on Prime Minister Albanese is baseless, reckless and endangers our community. We are appalled but not surprised that Netanyahu would try to exploit fears in our community to defend Israel’s ongoing atrocities Click here to read the full article.
- [Bart Shteinman speaks to The Guardian about Netanyahu's attack on Albanese](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/bart-shteinman-speaks-to-the-guardian-about-netanyahus-attack-on-albanese): Executive Member Bart Shteinman recently spoke to The Guardian for an article about Netanyahu’s attack on Albanese. An excerpt of his quoted comments is below: [Netanyahu’s attack on Albanese] should be a wake-up call for Australia, that the Israeli government is not interested in a relationship with our government. Click here to read the full article.
- [Bart Shteinman quoted by SMH about Simcha Rothman's visa cancellation](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/bart-shteinman-quoted-by-smh-about-simcha-rothmans-visa-cancellation): Executive Member Bart Shteinman was recently quoted by SMH for an article titled “Israeli visa cancellation: Benjamin Netanyahu blasts Anthony Albanese as diplomatic relations plummet”. An excerpt from the relevant section is below: Bart Shteinman, a spokesman for the progressive Jewish Council of Australia, welcomed the decision to cancel Rothman’s visa but said the government should go further by banning all members of the Netanyahu government from travelling to Australia. “The question for us is why was he not already on a sanctions list,” he said. Click here to read the full article (requires subscription).
- [Australasian Muslim Times interviews Max Kaiser](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/australasian-muslim-times-interviews-max-kaiser): The Australasian Muslim Times recently interviewed Executive Officer Max Kaiser “to find out more about the organisation and discuss Jewish-Muslim relations”. Click here to read the interview.
- [Sarah Schwartz quoted by The Age about Australia's recognition of Palestine](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/sarah-schwartz-quoted-by-the-age-about-australias-recognition-of-palestine): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz was recently quoted by The Age in reaction to Australia’s recognition of Palestine. An excerpt of her quoted comments is below: If Australia truly supports Palestinian self-determination, it must end all military co-operation with Israel and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing genocide and deliberate starvation of Gaza. Click here to read the full story.
- [Media Release: Recognition of the State of Palestine must be combined with principled action to stop Israel’s intensifying genocide in Gaza](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/media-release-recognition-of-the-state-of-palestine-must-be-combined-with-principled-action-to-stop-israels-intensifying-genocide-in-gaza): The Jewish Council of Australia affirms the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to self-determination—a right that has been systematically denied by the Israeli state. Australia’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine is a response to the growing groundswell of public support for Palestinian rights across this country. The Australian government must ensure that ‘recognition’ is not merely symbolic. It needs to be combined with immediate action, including sanctions, to help end Israel’s ongoing genocide and the deliberate starvation of the people of Gaza. For almost two years, Israel has been engaging in a campaign of relentless bombardment, forced displacement and […]
- [Dr Na’ama Carlin speaks to SBS Hebrew about participating in March for Humanity](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/dr-naama-carlin-speaks-to-sbs-hebrew-about-participating-in-march-for-humanity): Executive Member Dr Na’ama Carlin recently spoke to SBS Hebrew about her reasons for participating in March for Humanity, her encounters with other protests and her thoughts on inter-community dialogue. Click here to listen to the segment or read the transcript. (Both are in Hebrew.)
- [Media Release: Jewish Council backs march across Sydney Harbour Bridge](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/08/media-release-jewish-council-backs-march-across-sydney-harbour-bridge): Tens of thousands of people will march across Sydney Harbour Bridge tomorrow afternoon in the momentous March for Humanity – a mass call to save Gaza. Today, the Supreme Court of NSW declined an application by NSW Police to block the march.  The people of Gaza are experiencing an escalating genocide. Israel, emboldened by its allies, is subjecting 2 million Palestinians to a campaign of deliberate starvation, mass slaughter and planned ethnic cleansing.  Today, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, said that even if Israel’s bombing of Gaza ended tomorrow, the effects of hunger will […]
- [Crikey covers independent review that vindicates Sarah Schwartz against allegations from The Australian](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/crikey-covers-independent-review-that-vindicates-sarah-schwartz-against-allegations-from-the-australian): Crikey has recently published a story titled News Corp smear campaign against Sarah Schwartz demolished by independent review. An excerpt from the start of the story: An independent review has vindicated Sarah Schwartz, the Human Rights Law Centre’s legal director and Jewish Council of Australia executive officer, who was targeted by disgraceful claims of antisemitism peddled by News Corp in the “Dutton’s Jew” smear campaign against her in January. Click here to read the full story (requires Crikey subscription).
- [MEDIA ALERT: Independent review finds no racist or antisemitic content at QUT Symposium](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/media-alert-independent-review-finds-no-racist-or-antisemitic-content-at-qut-symposium): An independent review by The Honourable John Middleton AM KC into the National Symposium on Unifying Anti-Racist Research has found that no racist or antisemitic content was presented at the Symposium, despite smear campaigns by pro-Israel groups and the Australian Newspaper. The Review also found no breaches of the Code of Conduct and no racist conduct by any of the Symposium’s presenters or organisers. The Review found: 11. Ms Schwartz intended to critique what she perceives as the political weaponisation of Jewish identity and antisemitism by certain political leaders. She was not critical of Jewish people themselves. 12.13 While some […]
- [Off White: The Truth about Antisemitism - a Jewish Council Conversation with Rachel Shabi](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/off-white-the-truth-about-antisemitism-a-jewish-council-conversation-with-rachel-shabi): As authoritarian ‘antisemitism’ plans and envoys continue to distort our politics at home and abroad, it has become difficult to talk about antisemitism constructively. Instead, we find ourselves in a storm of misinformation, political mudslinging and bad-faith accusations. Rachel Shabi’s Off-White: The Truth about Antisemitism offers a comprehensive analysis of contemporary antisemitism while combating the pro-Israel lobby’s conflation of antisemitism and anti-zionism. Sydney The conversation will be between Rachel Shabi and an executive member of the Jewish Council of Australia. Date: 17th AugustTime: 7pm-8:30pmWhere: Palace Cinemas Moore Park Melbourne Join the conversation between award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster Rachel Shabi and Dr Max Kaiser, […]
- [Sarah Schwartz on ABC's Afternoon Briefing to speak about the antisemitism report](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/sarah-schwartz-on-abcs-afternoon-briefing-to-speak-about-the-antisemitism-report): Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to Patricia Karvelas on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing about the Special Envoy’s report about combatting antisemitism. Click here to watch the episode on ABC iview (the link will highlight the relevant episode, “Wednesday 16/7/2005”.
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to 7am Podcast about the Special Envoy's plan to Combat Antisemitism in Australia](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/sarah-schwartz-speaks-to-7am-podcast-about-the-special-envoys-plan-to-combat-antisemitism-in-australia): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to 7am Podcast about the Special Envoy’s plan and “on the rise in antisemitism and what should be done to stop it”. Click here to listen to the episode.
- [Na’ama Carlin piece in Crikey: "How to silence academic speech on Palestine"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/naama-carlin-piece-in-crikey-how-to-silence-academic-speech-on-palestine): Executive Member Dr Na’ama Carlin has recently had a piece published in Crikey titled How to silence academic speech on Palestine. An excerpt from the opening: Jillian Segal’s proposal seeks to mobilise the IHRA definition of antisemitism and would have far-reaching implications for students and staff across Australian universities. Click here to read the full piece.
- [Louise Adler piece in The Guardian about the special envoy's plan](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/louise-adler-piece-in-the-guardian-about-the-special-envoys-plan): Advisory Committee member Louise Adler has recently had a piece published in The Guardian titled The special envoy’s plan is the latest push to weaponise antisemitism in Australia, as a relentless campaign pays off. An excerpt from the piece’s opening: ne must acknowledge the remarkably effective Jewish community organisations in Australia behind the latest antisemitism report. Collectively, with their News Ltd megaphone, they have successfully badgered the government of the day, cowed the ABC, intimidated vice-chancellors and threatened to defund arts organisations. Click here to read the piece in full.
- [Jewish Council petition against Victoria’s proposed anti-protest laws covered in The Guardian](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/jewish-council-petition-against-victorias-proposed-anti-protest-laws-covered-in-the-guardian): A petition organised by the Jewish Council against Victoria’s proposed anti-protest laws was recently covered by The Guardian. An excerpt from the petition quoted in the story: We call on you to stop exploiting antisemitic incidents experienced by our communities, including the horrific arson attack on East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, and the firebombing of Adass Israel Synagogue, to push anti-democratic laws. Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser criticism of the antisemitism plan quoted in The Guardian](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/max-kaiser-criticism-of-the-antisemitism-plan-quoted-in-the-guardian-for): Executive Officer Dr Max Kaiser was recently quoted by The Guardian in a story titled Australian envoy’s antisemitism plan criticised as ‘Trumpian’ over concerns changes could be used to silence dissent. An excerpt from his comments: Tying public funding to vague and politically loaded criteria and definitions is not only undemocratic, it’s deeply dangerous. Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser quoted by SMH about the antisemitism report](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/max-kaiser-quoted-by-smh-about-the-antisemitism-report): Executive Officer Dr Max Kaiser was recently quoted by SMH for a story titled Jewish groups back antisemitism report, while critics warn of curbs on free speech. From his comment in the story: This document reads more like a blueprint for silencing dissent rather than a strategy to build inclusion. Click here to read the full story.
- [Ohad Kozminsky speaks to SMH: "Melbourne grapples with antisemitism and the blaming of weekly pro-Palestine protests"](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/ohad-kozminsky-speaks-to-smh-melbourne-grapples-with-antisemitism-and-the-blaming-of-weekly-pro-palestine-protests): Executive Member Ohad Kozminsky recently spoke to SMH for a story titled Melbourne grapples with antisemitism and the blaming of weekly pro-Palestine protests. An excerpt from his comments: [The protests] are important for demonstrating to the broader public that it is essential we keep talking about Israel’s genocide Click here to read the full story (requires SMH subscription).
- [Max Kaiser speaks to SBS about the Special Envoy's recommendations to combat antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/max-kaiser-speaks-to-sbs-about-the-special-envoys-recommendations-to-combat-antisemitism): Executive Officer Dr Max Kaiser recently spoke to SBS for a story titled Mixed reaction from Jewish groups to antisemitism recommendations. An excerpt from his comments in the story: [T]his is straight out of the Trump playbook. This is mislocating the problem of antisemitism as being a problem of migrants, cultural institutions, universities, and by implication, the protest movement Click here to listen to the story or read the transcript.
- [Deepcut covers Jewish Council's exclusion from anti-hate taskforce](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/deepcut-covers-jewish-councils-exclusion-from-anti-hate-taskforce): Deepcut recently published a story about the Jewish Council’s exclusion from the anti-hate taskforce. An excerpt from the opening: The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) was a notable absentee from the first meeting of Victoria’s new ‘anti-hate’ taskforce convened by the state Labor premier, Jacinta Allan. In a statement on Monday announcing the new taskforce, Allan said she would “invite representatives of Melbourne’s Jewish community to participate in this meeting, so their voice is heard from the outset”. Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser quoted in Al Jazeera about the plan to combat antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/max-kaiser-quoted-in-al-jazeera-about-the-plan-to-combat-antisemitism): Executive Officer Dr Max Kaiser was recently quoted in Al Jazeera in a story titled Defund universities that allow anti-Semitism, says Australia envoy. An excerpt of his comments quoted in the story: Consistent with her past statements erroneously linking antisemitic attacks with Palestine solidarity protests, Segal seems fixated on driving a pro-Israel narrative and repressing legitimate criticism of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Click here to read the full story.
- [Max Kaiser speaks to the ABC about the plan to combat antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/max-kaiser-speaks-to-the-abc-about-the-plan-to-combat-antisemitism): Executive Officer Dr Max Kaiser recently spoke to the ABC as part of a story titled Envoy calls for action on antisemitism. An excerpt from Max’s comments: We are unfortunately very disappointed in this plan. We think that it is a dangerous plan and we think that it does not get to the real heart of the issue of anti-Semitism in Australia. We don’t think that it fully addresses the serious nature of anti-Semitism and racism in Australia. Click here to listen to the full episode on the ABC website. You can also watch an excerpt on the Jewish Council’s […]
- [Max Kaiser quoted in 9 News about the plan to combat antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/max-kaiser-quoted-in-9-news-about-the-plan-to-combat-antisemitism): Executive Officer Dr Max Kaiser was recently quoted by 9 News about the plan to combat antisemitism. Below is an excerpt from his quoted comments: The report’s vague language around ‘antisemitic narratives’ or ‘affiliations’, coupled with its emphasis on [a] discredited… definition of antisemitism, make the actions recommended dangerously unclear Click here to read the full story.
- [Jewish Independent covers Jewish Council's objection to Special Envoy's antisemitism report](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/jewish-independent-covers-jewish-councils-objection-to-special-envoys-antisemitism-report): Executive Officer Max Kaiser was recently quoted in the Jewish Independent about the Special Envoy’s antisemitism report. An excerpt from his quoted comments is below: The report is riddled with misinformation and claims about nefarious funding sources for protests and universities that verge on conspiracy theory Click here to read the full article.
- [CNN piece on the Special Envoy's report on antisemitism featuring Max Kaiser](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/cnn-piece-on-the-special-envoys-report-on-antisemitism-featuring-max-kaiser): Max Kaiser’s comments on the Special Envoy’s report on antisemitism have also been covered by CNN. From Max’s comments as quoted in the article: Any response that treats antisemitism as exceptional, while ignoring Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and other forms of hate, is doomed to fail Click here to read the piece.
- [AAP covers Max Kaiser's commentary on the Special Envoy's report on antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/aap-covers-max-kaisers-commentary-on-the-special-envoys-report-on-antisemitism): Max Kaiser’s comments on the Special Envoy’s report on antisemitism have also been covered by AAP. From Max’s comments as quoted in the article: This document reads more like a blueprint for silencing dissent rather than a strategy to build inclusion Click here to read the full piece in Yahoo News.
- [ABC News (USA) covers Max Kaiser's commentary on the Special Envoy's report on antisemitism](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/abc-news-usa-covers-max-kaisers-commentary-on-the-special-envoys-report-on-antisemitism): Max Kaiser’s comments on the Special Envoy’s report on antisemitism have recently been covered by ABC News (USA). From Max’s comments as quoted in the article: This is a movement that is against the genocide ongoing in Gaza. And it’s a completely legitimate part of democratic political activity. And to suggest that somehow this is related to antisemitism really does a disservice to the cause of fighting antisemitism. Click here to read the full piece.
- [Sarah Schwartz speaks to Deepcut about the Antoinette Lattouf verdict](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/sarah-schwartz-speaks-to-deepcut-about-the-antoinette-lattouf-verdict): Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz recently spoke to Deepcut for a story titled Landmark court rulings reveal limits of pro-Israel lobby. An excerpt from her comments: The Lattouf judgement sends a message to employers, to institutions, to decision-makers that you shouldn’t cave in to these blatantly antidemocratic tactics of intimidation. Click here to read the full story.
- [Jewish Council Rejects Special Envoy’s antisemitism plan](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2025/07/jewish-council-rejects-special-envoys-antisemitism-plan): The Jewish Council of Australia has today warned that the newly released Special Envoy’s Plan to Combat Antisemitism risks undermining Australia’s democratic freedoms, inflaming community divisions, and entrenching selective approaches to racism that serve political agendas. The report is riddled with misinformation and claims about nefarious funding sources for protests and universities that verge on conspiracy theory. The Council is especially concerned about the plan’s strong endorsement of the widely discredited IHRA definition of antisemitism, which has been used to silence legitimate criticism of Israel and Zionism.  The Council criticised the plan’s emphasis on surveillance, censorship, and punitive control over […]

## Pages

- [The government of Israel](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/the-government-of-israel): The government of Israel The leaders driving this crisis — and why we must name them clearly Israel’s government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right coalition partners such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, has pursued policies of annexation, displacement, and collective punishment. Their actions do not represent all Jewish people — and many Jewish communities worldwide condemn them. Accountability for these leaders is essential to end impunity and uphold human rights. Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover the government in Israel.[Image credit]
- [Protests/rallies in support of Palestine](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/protests-rallies-in-support-of-palestine): Protests & Rallies in Support of Palestine Why people are marching — and why attempts to smear them are failing Millions across Australia and the world are protesting because they refuse to accept the destruction of an entire people. These rallies are diverse, multifaith, and grounded in human rights — not hate. Recent political attacks on peaceful protest only strengthen public resolve. Jewish participation is growing, sending a powerful message: standing with Palestinians is a deeply Jewish commitment to justice and dignity. Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover protests/rallies.[Image credit]
- [The genocide label](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/the-genocide-label): The genocide label Is it genocide? What international law actually says Politicians and media figures insist the term “genocide” is inflammatory or inaccurate. But leading genocide experts, UN officials, and human-rights investigators have clearly determined that Israel’s actions meet key criteria for genocide: mass civilian killing, deliberate starvation, forced displacement, and explicit statements of intent by Israeli leaders Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover the genocide label.[Image credit]
- [Sanctions on Israel](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/sanctions-on-israel): Sanctions on Israel Why sanctions are a necessary response to Israel’s genocide As Israel continues to commit grave human-rights violations, the world must respond with sanctions. The Jewish Council of Australia supports country-level sanctions, arms embargoes, and accountability measures to help end Israel’s genocide and occupation and advance Palestinian liberation. Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover sanctions on Israel.
- [Palestine and the UN](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/palestine-and-the-un): Palestine and the UN Why recognising Palestine is not enough Israel and its allies have blocked Palestinian statehood for decades. With Australia recognising Palestine, it’s time to go further. It’s time to support sanctions against Israel. Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover Palestine and the UN.[Image credit]
- [Gaza](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/gaza): Gaza The Reality in Gaza: what the world must not look away from Gaza is facing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis created by Israel’s genocidal assault. Entire neighbourhoods have been destroyed. Civilians are still starving. This is not “self-defence” — the Jewish Council is committed to fighting this systematic destruction of the population. Scroll down to see some recent articles, posts and media releases that cover Gaza.[Image credit]
- [Thanks](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/thanks): Thank you so much for your support. It really makes a difference! We appreciate your gift to the Jewish Council of Australia (ABN: 32 677 319 523). We are an ACNC registered charity and all donations are tax deductible. A receipt has been automatically emailed to you as well. If you can’t see it, please check your spam folder, if it’s still not there you can email us on jewishcouncil@jewishcouncil.com.au
- [Antisemitism in Australia](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/antisemitism-in-australia): 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.
- [Support the Jewish Council of Australia](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/donate): We are a grassroots volunteer-run organisation with no external funding. Your ongoing donation will mean we can keep doing what we’re doing. We are an ACNC registered charity and have deductible gift recipient status so all donations are tax deductible. Monthly donation To choose another monthly amount, please contact us. One-off donation
- [Discussion Groups](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/discussion-groups): Discussion Groups Register your expression of interest below Why? Many of our Jewish supporters have been reaching out to us wanting to get active and meet like-minded people. We have an extensive contact list and can put people in touch. What have we been hearing? People want to create new spaces for open, honest and critical Jewish discussion about Israel, Palestine, Zionism and Jewishness. We are beyond frustrated that our mainstream Jewish institutions don’t provide us with these spaces. Judaism is so central to my identity and I crave community and conversation with others who share some of my understanding […]
- [Events](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/events): Events Below are past and current events, both in-person and online
- [Get Involved](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/get-involved): Get Involved Below are past actions that we’ve asked our supporters to take, as well as current actions and ways of being involved.
- [Privacy Policy](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/privacy-policy): Who we are This website is opreated by the Jewish Council of Australia (ABN 32 677 319 523). We are a DGR endorsed entity (more info here). If you have any questions or queries about privacy policy, please email jewishcouncil@jewishcouncil.com.au. Forms If you fill out a form, your form submission will be forwarded to us. We may also collect additional data such as your IP address, estimated location, referral source, landing page and browser details. This is for quality control and also in case of spam and harassment. If you submit a form on this website, we also upload this […]
- [Sarah Schwartz](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/sarah-schwartz): Executive Officer at Jewish Council of Australia Sarah is a human rights lawyer. She is a Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, working on democratic rights and freedoms, and a lecturer at Melbourne Law School. Sarah has worked for many years representing clients in the areas of democratic rights, police accountability, the rights of people in prison and coronial inquests into deaths in custody. She was awarded a John Monash Scholarship in 2019 and completed a Master of Laws at Harvard University focused on policing, racism and mass incarceration. Sarah has written widely on issues of policing, racism, […]
- [Dr Max Kaiser](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/dr-max-kaiser): Executive Officer at Jewish Council of Australia Dr Max Kaiser is an expert on antisemitism and Australian Jewish history. He is the author of Jewish Antifascism and the False Promise of Settler Colonialism (Palgrave 2022). He completed his PhD at the University of Melbourne and lives on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation.
- [Media releases](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/media-releases): Jewish Council of Australia media releases Our media releases
- [Jewish Council in the media](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/in-the-media): Jewish Council of Australia in the media Our appearances in local and national media
- [Home](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/): The Jewish Council of Australia DIGNITY. EQUALITY. FREEDOM. FOR ALL. The Jewish Council of Australia is an organisation of Jewish people in Australia who are committed to the Jewish values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), calling out injustice, challenging assumptions and promoting debate. We work towards ending antisemitism and all forms of racism and we support Palestinian freedom and justice. Latest news and media Supporters Over 1300 Jewish Australians have signed onto our statement of core values saying YES to freedom, equality and dignity for all and NO to Israel’s continued destruction of Palestinian life.  Latest YouTube videos Latest […]
- [Contact Us](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/contact-us): Get in touch For media, SMS us on+61493970412 Media please email us at media@jewishcouncil.com.auFor general queries please email jewishcouncil@jewishcouncil.com.au Sign up to receive our newsletter, events, actions and press releases You can also sign our supporter statement here. Follow on social
- [Supporters](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/supporters): Supporters Join 1,300+ Jewish people in Australia by adding your voice to the Jewish Council Australia’s core principles Add your voice Who we are: The Jewish Council of Australia provides an independent, expert Jewish voice opposing antisemitism & racism. We are a diverse coalition of Jewish academics, lawyers, writers, and teachers who support Palestinian freedom, justice and equality. Why sign? We’ve had overwhelming messages of support from Jews across Australia who share our values and want to help spread the message of the Jewish Council of Australia. Many have been contacting us asking how they can add their voice – […]
- [News and media](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/news-media): Jewish Council of Australia news & media We aim to work with media personnel, politicians, and policymakers to provide expert Jewish voices on issues of antisemitism in Australia
- [Who We Are](https://www.jewishcouncil.com.au/who-we-are): Who are we? The Jewish Council of Australia is a diverse coalition of Jewish academics, lawyers, writers and teachers. We bring expertise in antisemitism and racism. We provide an independent expert Jewish voice supporting human rights and opposing antisemitism and racism. We support Palestinian freedom and justice and are united in our opposition to Israel’s continued policies aimed at the destruction of Palestinian life. Our values Equality Human Rights Freedom Democracy Learn More Our core principles We are proud Jewish people in Australia with diverse histories, traditions and politics. We are committed to the values of tikkun olam (repairing the […]


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