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
Human Animals: Australian Premiere Screening + Q&A with Producer Mhamad Babai – 17th Sep (Melbourne)
Human Animals, a documentary by David Wachsman and Mhamad Babai (17 Sep, Kino Cinema Melbourne) The Jewish Council of Australia is proud to present the Australian premiere of Human Animals, a new documentary from internationally acclaimed producer Mhamad Babai and director David Wachsmann. An important documentary event, don’t miss out. While Gaza experiences an unprecedented…
Complete Injustice for Zomi, Hind and Countless Other Victims: Jewish Council Says Australia Must Expel Israeli Ambassador
MEDIA RELEASE 20 August 2026 The Israeli Government’s decision not to pursue criminal charges over the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom is a grave injustice and strengthens the case for Australia to impose country-level sanctions and expel its ambassador in response. While the Israel Defense Forces have finally acknowledged for the first time,…
Tashlich on 13th Sep (Sydney + Melbourne)
The Jewish Council is once again organising a gathering for Tashlich, and we invite our community to join us. All are welcome. Since the Middle Ages, Jewish people have gathered during the New Year period for Tashlich. In this ritual we meet at a body of water to symbolically cast away our wrongdoings and prepare for the year to…
Settler Terrorism Must End: Jewish Council Urges Australian Government to Issue Country-Level Sanctions Immediately
MEDIA RELEASE 18 August 2026 The Jewish Council is calling on the Australian Government to issue country-level sanctions against the Israeli Government, as Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Qusra have spent nearly a week under siege by Israeli settlers. Palestinian residents in the West Bank have faced power and water cuts and…
Don’t let Israel define antisemitism
Israel’s defenders are pressuring Australian institutions and governments to adopt and enforce the IHRA working definition of antisemitism. Kenneth Stern, who drafted the definition, has warned its adoption is “a disaster” that is being “weaponised to go after Pro-Palestinian speech… and blind us to how antisemitism actually works.” NSW Supreme Court Justice Desmond Fagan has…
Jewish Council Calls on Australian Government to Demand Release of Gaza Doctor Whose Life Is in Immediate Danger in Israeli Detention
MEDIA RELEASE 09 July 2026 The Jewish Council of Australia is calling on the Australian Government to publicly demand the immediate release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza’s Kamal Adwan Hospital. Earlier this week, his lawyer and the Israeli human rights organisation Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) warned Dr. Abu Safiya’s…
Jewish Council condemns Israel’s deliberate targeting of children as UN inquiry reaffirms genocide finding
MEDIA RELEASE 24 June 2026 The Jewish Council of Australia condemns Israel’s actions in the strongest terms and urges country-level sanctions from the Australian government, following the release overnight of another independent inquiry that has found Israel is deliberately targeting Palestinian children in Gaza. The conclusions of the report reinforce earlier findings that Israel is…
Jewish Council of Australia submission urges Royal Commission to reject conflation of antisemitism with Palestine advocacy and focus on far-right threat to Jewish safety
MEDIA RELEASE 16 June 2026 The Jewish Council of Australia’s submission to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, representing the voices of over 2,500 progressive Jewish people in Australia, has been published today. The submission urges the Commission to reject definitions and approaches to addressing antisemitism that conflate it with criticism of Israel,…
Kvetch Zine Launch (Sydney + Melbourne)
Kvetch is a grassroots zine project created by Jewish writers, poets, artists, and organisers. Please join us to launch its first edition with food, drinks, and community. Hear from some of our talented writers and artists, and get yourself a printed copy of the zine.
Jewish Council demands country-level sanctions as West Bank settler outposts targeted
The Jewish Council of Australia has acknowledged the federal government’s expansion of human rights sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers, but warns that targeting isolated individuals and outposts fails to address the state infrastructure driving the violence. Today’s designations, covering the farming outposts of Moshe’s Farm, Meitarim Farm, Neria’s Farm and Zvi’s Farm, together with Ben…
Jewish Council condemns attempts to cancel Israel-critical Jews at Limmud Oz, stands with Jacob Sacher
The Jewish Council of Australia condemns the decision by Jewish communal organisations Adamama and Shalom to pull out of a partnership with Limmud Oz, because of the programming of progressive Jewish comedian, Jacob Sacher, for his affiliation with the Jewish Council of Australia and Palestine advocacy. The Council views the collapse of this collaboration as…
Jewish Council condemns degrading treatment of flotilla activists by far-right Israeli government minister
The Jewish Council of Australia has strongly condemned the actions of far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir following the release of video footage depicting the humiliation of detained humanitarians. The Global Sumud Flotilla, which included 11 Australian citizens, was intercepted by Israeli naval forces in international waters for attempting to break the illegal blockade…
Jewish Council to appear at Royal Commission hearings this week on definitions and drivers of antisemitism
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) will appear before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion this week between Tuesday and Thursday. The purpose of these appearances will be to cross-examine witnesses and test evidence on the definitions and drivers of contemporary antisemitism. The Council represents over 2,500 Jewish Australians, including academics and descendants…
Royal Commission grants Jewish Council leave to appear, representing diverse Jewish voices at public hearings
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has granted the Jewish Council of Australia leave to appear at its first hearing block. Commencing today, Monday 4 May 2026, the first set of public hearings follow the release of the Commission’s interim report, and will be examining the nature, prevalence and definitions of antisemitism. The…
Jewish Council welcomes interim Royal Commission report, calls on all governments to speed up gun control reform
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) has welcomed the interim report of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, handed down today by Commissioner Virginia Bell. The Council is calling for the implementation of common sense recommendations to improve community safety, and for all state and territory governments to urgently agree to fast track …
FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE KEVIN BELL AO KC JOINS JEWISH COUNCIL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) is proud to announce that the Honourable Kevin Bell AO KC, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and former Commissioner of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, has joined its Advisory Committee. The appointment of one of Australia’s most distinguished former jurists comes at a critical juncture as…
Jewish Council calls on Australian Government to join global allies and condemn Israeli bombing of Lebanon
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) has expressed horror at the unprecedented escalation of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which killed at least 254 people and wounded over 1,000 others in a single afternoon. The JCA is urgently calling on the Albanese Government to join a growing chorus of world leaders in applying immediate, meaningful pressure…
Jewish Council raises alarm about antisemitism, racism and homophobia in One Nation and calls on government at all levels to take decisive action to fight far-right extremism
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) has expressed deep alarm following an ABC investigation into One Nation candidates in South Australia, which revealed a history of alleged domestic abuse, virulent homophobia, and blatant Holocaust denialism. The investigation into candidates Bruce Preece and Tyler Green highlights the dangerous and overlooked surge in far-right extremism that targets…
Ensure the Royal Commission hears diverse Jewish voices: how to make a submission
As you probably already know, the Australian government has established the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in response to the Bondi terrorist attack. Like many of you, I am still grieving the horror of Bondi. We need to ensure that what follows leads us towards unity, justice and a stronger democracy for all…
Jewish Council Condemns Far-Right Holocaust Minimisation at Advance Australia Conference
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) has today condemned the conservative lobby group Advance for providing a platform to grotesque antisemitic and anti-immigration rhetoric that downplayed the horrors of the Nazi regime. As ABC reporting has revealed, at a recent conference in Sydney attended by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and sitting Liberal Senators, MAGA-affiliated…
