Anti-Semitism: report to the community for 2009/10

November 22, 2010 Agencies
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Reports of harassment and verbal abuse of Jewish Australians on their way to and from synagogue reached a record high in the twelve month period ending  September 30, as the total reports of all types of antisemitic racist violence was at 5% above the twenty-year average, expert analyst of antisemitism Jeremy Jones reported today.

Jeremy Jones

Addressing the Annual Meeting of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in Sydney, Mr Jones, who is Director of International and Community Affairs for the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, noted an encouraging decrease over recent years in reports of graffiti, threatening telephone calls, hate mail, assault and vandalism, as well as a decrease in reports of antisemitism in the mainstream media.

However, the total of 394 incidents which qualify as “racist violence” using the definition adopted by the Australian Human Rights Commission is “394 too many”, Mr Jones said.

In changes over past years, Mr Jones noted “Australian-based antisemites have found a welcome home in on-line forums of major, mainstream media organisations, preferring these platforms to other means of spreading anti-Jewish bigotry and hatred”.

‘Within the broad and complex Muslim community networks, there are a growing number of voices speaking up against bigotry, but they unfortunately have a big job in addressing the anti-Jewish lies and conspiracy theories which have infected public debate”.

“Christian leaders, and those of a number of other religious communities, have also been in the forefront of confronting racist anti-Jewish myths “, Mr Jones added.

After detailing the activities of organised anti-Jewish groups and individuals, Mr Jones noted “The evidence gives the lie to the claim that Israel’s actions ’cause’ or ‘promote’ antisemitism”

“What does happen is that antisemites, who find any pretext to defame Jews, will act opportunistically when they feel an Israeli action can be cast in a negative light”, he said.

“Jewish people existing as Jews – going to synagogue, observing traditions and religious rituals – was the primary ‘problem’ antisemites in Australia have with Jews.”

“Further, for the antisemite in Australia absolutely anything that happens which they don’t like is blamed on Jewish people – from internal machinations of political parties, through foreign policies of a range of countries, including social changes and political decisions which have at best a distant connection to Jews and on to natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes”, he concluded.

Comments

2 Responses to “Anti-Semitism: report to the community for 2009/10”
  1. Sandra heoner says:

    -WaLking to Synagogue, I am often approached by Jewish voluntee rguards who are yes anti- semitic!!

    They are doing a thankless job, and a valuable one… but the majority are downright rude and insensitive!!The few that defy these descriptions are gems! Jewish guards againtst congregants who pay fees, established their synagogue, went to Cheder, youth group functions and married there.. do not have to be rudely approached, shouted at, asked what they are doing there, and why they are late for services… we dont need to have a heart attack G-D FORBID, BEFORE ENTERING OUR OWN SYNAGOGUE, BY BRASH NEW jEWISH VOLUNTEER GUARDS!

  2. Rita says:

    “….Australian-based antisemites have found a welcome home in on-line forums of major, mainstream media organisations, preferring these platforms to other means of spreading anti-Jewish bigotry and hatred…”.

    ===================

    They have also found a welcome home in our universities!

    Melanie Phillips, in her outstanding book “The World Turned Upside Down” reports: “In May 2008, yet another boycott call by the University and College Union (UCU) invovled singing out Jewish and Israeli academics to explain their politics as a precondtition to normal academic contact. The implication was that if they did not condemn Israel for the “occupation”, or for practising “apartheit” or “genocide” or any of the other manufactured crimes laid at Israel’s door, they wouldn’t be able to work….”

    But if you think that only happened in the U.K., think again. A visiting philosophy lecturer from Israel was asked by the University of Sydney that he sign a paper dissociating himself from the “politics of Israel” before he would be allowed to lecture – not political sciences, but Philosophy.

    Anti-Semitism is rampant and all pervasive.

    To say nothing against it, is to say yes!

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