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
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.…
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…
Antony Loewenstein releases documentary: “Germany’s 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…
Antony Loewenstein speaks to the ABC about Germany’s 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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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
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
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…
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…
Max Kaiser speaks to Deepcut News about Lorraine Finlay’s 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…
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…
Max Kaiser quoted by Canberra Times regarding Netanyahu’s 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…
Bart Shteinman speaks to The Guardian about Netanyahu’s 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…
Bart Shteinman quoted by SMH about Simcha Rothman’s 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…
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
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…
Media Release: Recognition of the State of Palestine must be combined with principled action to stop Israel’s 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…
