Jewish Council of Australia media releases
Our media releases
Firebombing of Melbourne synagogue is an attack on all of us
[Image credit] We are alarmed by reports of an attack on Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne’s South East this morning involving windows being smashed and molotov cocktails being thrown into the synagogue. We understand this occurred while congregants were inside. The Jewish Council strongly condemns this violent attack. This reprehensible act of violence is an…
ICC arrest warrants demonstrate urgent need for Australia to cut ties and sanction Israel
[Image credit] The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the country’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war. In light of these developments, and the worsening conditions imposed on Palestinians in Gaza, and the West Bank, the Jewish Council…
Jewish Council welcomes Australia’s commitment to Palestinian sovereignty
[Image credit] Yesterday, Australia voted with 158 other countries, including the UK and New Zealand, in support of a UN Resolution supporting “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians over their natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and for the population of the occupied Syrian Golan. Canada, the US and…
North Gaza siege demonstrates urgent need to cut ties and sanction Israel
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia renews our calls for the Albanese Government to use all possible pressure to stop Israel committing the crime of genocide. Yesterday, an Israeli strike targeting Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital in central Gaza burned alive at least four Palestinians and injured dozens, many of them wounded patients. The UN World…
One year on, Israel’s aggression continues unabated and we urge our politicians to act
[Image credit] October 7 marks one year since the Hamas attacks which led to the killing of over 1,000 people in Israel. This week also marks the start of Israel’s genocidal war, which has led to the mass destruction of Palestinian life in Gaza. One year on, countless Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by…
Jewish Council of Australia to speak at Senate inquiry today opposing Coalition’s divisive antisemitism Bill
[Image credit] Sarah Schwartz and Dr Elizabeth Strakosch from the Jewish Council of Australia will speak today at 10.15 am at the Senate inquiry into the Coalition’s Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill (2024). They will warn that the proposed legislation could be used to justify policies which stifle free speech and…
Jewish Council disappointed at Australia’s UN abstention, calls for strong international action to prevent Israeli war crimes
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia is deeply disappointed at Australia’s abstention from a critical United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on Israel to end its occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months. The resolution passed with 124 votes in favour, highlighting global frustration with Israel’s actions. Australia’s abstention does not align with…
Uniting against hate: Jewish Council stands with refugees facing Neo-Nazi intimidation
The Jewish Council of Australia strongly condemns the recent spate of attacks by neo-Nazis against refugees protesting for permanent visas. Last week, a masked group of men marched through the streets of Adelaide brandishing a neo-Nazi flag in a blatant attempt to intimidate a group of refugees who have been protesting for permanent safety. The…
Jewish Council says Australia must combine support for UK arms controls with action
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia welcomes Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s support for the decision by the United Kingdom to suspend 30 arms export licenses to Israel. We also welcome the Foreign Minister’s statement that Australia is working with allies to place pressure on Israel to stop its human rights abuses. In order for…
Jewish Council of Australia opposes Coalition’s antisemitism Bill, citing political agenda to stifle free speech on Palestine
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia has today expressed its opposition to the Coalition’s Commission of Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities Bill (2024), warning that the proposed legislation could be used to justify policies which stifle free speech and academic freedom. In a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee,…
Jewish Council condemns Peter Dutton and Dave Sharma for stoking racism in comments on Palestinians fleeing genocide
[Image credit] Today, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told Sky News that no Palestinians from Gaza should be entering Australia and that a visa scheme for Palestinians fleeing Gaza would put Australia’s national security at risk. These comments were made days after Liberal Party Senator Dave Sharma criticised the government, suggesting that Palestinians entering Australia “might…
Neo-Nazi march in Brisbane shows need for stronger efforts against racism, xenophobia and anti-immigrant rhetoric
[Image credit] We are concerned about reports today of neo-Nazis from the National Socialist Network dressed in black and marching in Brisbane CBD under the white supremacist banner of ‘Free England’. This event cannot be taken in isolation. Two weeks ago, the same group held a Trump inspired anti-immigration rally outside Federation Square in Melbourne…
Albanese Government must meaningfully respond to International Court of Justice advisory opinion on illegal occupation of Palestinian territories
The Jewish Council of Australia calls on the Albanese Government to take swift material action in response to the International Court of Justice’s historic advisory opinion calling for Israel to immediately halt illegal settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Court called on the State of Israel to leave the Occupied Palestinian Territories “as…
The Jewish Council welcomes three prominent advisory committee members
The Jewish Council has welcomed three new advisory committee members: Dr Rhonda Galbally AC served as Commissioner for the Disability Royal Commission, and has been a CEO, Chair and board member for over thirty years, across business, the public sector and philanthropy. Professor Clare Wright OAM is an award-winning historian, author, broadcaster and public commentator…
Appointment of Israel lobbyist as antisemitism envoy will only drive further division
[Image credit] The Jewish Council is concerned at yesterday’s report of the government’s impending appointment of a pro-Israel advocate as a special envoy on antisemitism. The treatment of antisemitism as distinct from other forms of racism undermines the important work being done across racial lines to address all forms of racism. To single out antisemitism,…
Universities must end disciplinary measures against anti-war students
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia is concerned that students across Australia, including at Deakin University, Melbourne University, Monash University and La Trobe University, have been sent misconduct notices for their involvement in anti-war protests. Israel has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians in Gaza in the last 9 months. Evidence continues to come to…
Jewish Council to give evidence to Senate inquiry into right wing extremism
The Jewish Council of Australia will today give evidence to the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry into right wing extremist movements in Australia. The Jewish Council is an independent expert Jewish voice opposing antisemitism and racism. Formed in response to rising antisemitism and racism, and Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, the Council…
Rafah massacre demonstrates urgent need to cut ties and sanction Israel
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia renews our calls for the Albanese Government to use all possible diplomatic pressure to stop Israel committing the crime of genocide. Yesterday, an Israeli airstrike killed at least 45 people who were living in tents in the declared safe-zone of Rafah. The act is likely in breach of…
Jewish Council of Australia Condemns Antisemitic Graffiti at Mount Scopus College
The Jewish Council of Australia strongly condemns the antisemitic vandalism that defiled the front fence of Mount Scopus Memorial College’s Burwood campus on Saturday. This reprehensible act of vandalism is an attack not only on the school but on Jewish communities more broadly. Antisemitism, in all its forms, is always unacceptable and should have no…
Jewish Council of Australia denounces Christian fundamentalist ‘Never Again Is Now’ rally
[Image credit] The Jewish Council of Australia is concerned about a pro-Israel Christian fundamentalist rally, due to take place in Melbourne today, framed under the misleading banner of fighting antisemitism, and organised by the group ‘Never Again Is Now’. This rally aims to exploit Jewish fear about antisemitism and Holocaust memory for a pro-Israel Christian…
