Australian Jews remind re-elected PM about antisemitism

Since taking office in 2022, Albanese has reversed long-standing pro-Israel policies, notably revoking recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and adopting a more critical tone in international forums.

By Canaan Lindor, JNS

Jewish Australian groups on Saturday congratulated Anthony Albanese on his re-election as prime minister, issuing statements that recalled the country’s antisemitism problem and his Labor Party’s critical stance toward Israel.

Labor has claimed 84 of the 150 seats in the House of Representatives, including that of Peter Dutton, leader of the center-right Liberal Party, who ran against Albanese.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-chief executive Peter Wertheim, too, congratulated the prime minister on leading the government to a “historic victory at the polls,” the Australian Jewish News reported.

“We will continue to urge the government to stand strong against antisemitism in both word and deed,” he said. “Where we have different views on the best way towards a sustainable two-state outcome to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, we will continue to put our case to the government in a constructive and reasoned manner.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also congratulated Albanese in a statement that did not reference the strains in the historically friendly Israeli-Australian relationship under Albanese.

“Israel extends its congratulations to the Australian people for its democratic process,” Sa’ar wrote, and to Albanese “for his victory in the elections. We value our close relationship with Australia and look forward to further strengthening the cooperation between our two democracies.”

Since taking office in 2022, Albanese has reversed long-standing pro-Israel policies, notably revoking recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and adopting a more critical tone in international forums.

His government responded tepidly to the October 2023 terrorist attacks in Israel and abstained from a U.N. vote condemning Israel’s response, drawing criticism from pro-Israel supporters.

In December, Australia supported at the U.N. General Assembly a resolution that called on Israel to “bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” including eastern Jerusalem.

Australia has traditionally opposed or abstained from voting on resolutions employing such language. The United States, Argentina, Hungary and Israel were among the eight countries that opposed the resolution.

Labor competed in the elections with progressive movements like the Australian Greens, who label Israel’s actions as “apartheid” and call for sanctions. In Saturday’s election, Labor won two of the three Brisbane seats the Greens won in 2022.

In recent months, Australia has seen a series of antisemitic attacks, including on the homes of Jewish community leaders. Albanese has promised to address these attacks and condemned them, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others have accused Labor’s critical approach toward Israel of emboldening perpetrators.

Jeremy Leibler, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, noted in a statement that “this election took place against the backdrop of a deeply painful period for Jewish Australians.”

The months since October 7, 2023, have “shaken our community’s sense of security and belonging. For the first time in history, many Jews in this country felt they had to justify their place in Australian society,” he added.

The relationship between the Jewish community and the Albanese Government “has been under strain,” Leibler wrote, but renewing the trust “is in the national interest, and we believe it is both necessary and possible.”

Trisha Posnor, a British author and founder of nonprofit Antisemitism Watch, noted parallels between the election results in Australia and Canada, where Mark Carney of Canada’s left-leaning Liberal Party of Justin Trudeau won the national election last week.

“Canada’s Carney and Australia’s Albanese are not only hardcore anti-Israel but they will do nothing about antisemitism that is at RECORD levels in both countries,” Posner tweeted on Saturday.