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
Petition: say no to Herzog visiting Australia
NOTE: This petition is now closed, to keep up to date with future petitions, sign up to our newsletter. Prime Minister Albanese will be rolling out the red carpet for a visit from Israeli President Isaac Herzog next week to “provide support for Jewish Australians”. As Jewish Australians, it is important for us to send a…
Jewish Council calls on Albanese to rescind Herzog invitation
The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, has confirmed today that he will visit Australia from 8 to 12 February and will meet with members of the Australian Jewish community. The Jewish Council of Australia has expressed outrage that the Albanese Government would fuel the flames of division by inviting Herzog to visit Australia, warning that…
Media Release: Over 60,000 Australians call for unity as leaders politicise Bondi ahead of National Day of Mourning
Ahead of the National Day of Mourning, over 60,000 Australians have now signed the Jewish Council’s petition, “We Will Not Be Divided After Bondi,” calling on leaders to reject attempts to weaponise Jewish grief, erode civil liberties, or pit communities against one another in the aftermath of the antisemitic attack at Bondi. The Jewish Council…
Max Kaiser speaks to ABC Drive Sydney about the government’s 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
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…
Jewish Council will work with Royal Commission to adopt an anti-racist approach and ensure diverse Jewish voices are heard
The Jewish Council of Australia is committed to working with the Royal Commission into the Bondi massacre, stressing that the inquiry must prioritise accountability, and understand antisemitism as an issue deeply intertwined with all forms of racism — rather than being derailed into a political battle that encourages more racism and division. The Council said…
Antony Loewenstein quoted by NBC about the government’s 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…
Ohad Kozminsky speaks to SBS about Isaac Herzog’s 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…
Ohad Kozminsky speaks to Canberra Times about the proposed laws in response to the Bondi massacre
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…
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…
Antony Loewenstein column in Middle East Eye: “Israel’s 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…
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…
Dr Naama Blatman quoted in SBS and The Guardian 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…
Sarah Schwartz speaks at the Bondi massacre 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
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…
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
