Weeks after the Hamas October 7 attacks, the US, along with dozens of allies, put out a strong statement condemning antisemitism. The U.S. State Department’s office of the special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism asked Australia to sign on, but Canberra refused.
The signatories, many of them envoys on Jew-hatred, added that they “will do everything in our power to see that hatred against Jews is rebuked and that Jewish life flourishes in peace” and that “antisemitism and all forms of hate are incredibly harmful and unacceptable.”
There was nothing controversial in the statement's recommendations:
We call on governments to assess the needs and provide the necessary security assistance that Jewish communities require at this time of crisis.We urge police and law enforcement to be vigilant of threats against Jews and to be aware that Jewish people around the world should not be held responsible for the words and actions of the Israeli or any other government, as illustrated by the non-legally binding International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism.We denounce antisemitic acts taking place on some campuses and urge university administrators to condemn them and ensure that their Jewish students, like all other students, have the safety and support needed in these difficult times, to enjoy their right to education.We urge civil society – including sports federations, religious communities, the cultural sector and academic circles – not to stand by or stay silent, but rather use their influence to effectively counter antisemitism and promote public acts of solidarity.We are distressed about the online upsurge of antisemitic messages, disinformation, hate speech, and terrorist content, which instigate real world hate crimes and threaten the very social cohesion that binds our democratic societies together. We decry the social media platforms that amplify and multiply this content and call on them to act in line with the law and their own terms of service.History has taught us that at times like these, we must speak up and cannot be indifferent.
JNS reported that a former State Department official said Australia’s decision to sit out was glaring. “It was a huge sign that even though the United States pushed them to sign onto this statement—it’s not like we are committing them to anything,” the former official said. “They refused. It’s like the top country that should be on there is not on there.”
That was under the Biden administration. The Trump administration has also tried to get Australia to prioritize the fight against antisemitism, and it has dragged its feet. This can be seen by parsing the very short readout of a meeting between Secretary of State Rubio and Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong in August:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to discuss issues in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, along with global efforts to combat antisemitism. The Secretary also underscored the importance of the U.S.-Australia alliance for upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific.
That is a very unusual detail for such a short statement, and it reflects US concern over Australia's reticence on doing anything concrete to fight Jew-hatred, even after the number of antisemitic incidents skyrocketed there after October 7.
The JNS article also details a huge amount of effort necessary for the US to pressure Australia to even appoint an envoy to combat antisemitism altogether. Australia's excuse was that if they were to do that they also needed an Islamophobia envoy and the Muslim community hadn't agreed on one. Yes, this was the bizarre reason given.
Bondi did not happen in a vacuum. The current government has been setting the stage for years.
(h/t Jill)
|
"He's an Anti-Zionist Too!" cartoon book (December 2024) PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism (February 2022) |
 |
Buy