First ever Victorian antisemitism report
The Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) and the Community Security Group Victoria (CSG) have joined forces to publish the first-ever Victorian Antisemitism Report, providing Victorians with a deeper understanding of the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in their state.
Map: Travel Victoria
The report reveals that incidents of antisemitism, including verbal and written abuse, threats, and graffiti, reached their highest levels in 2020 and 2021, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. During this period, the Jewish community in Victoria became a collective target, especially following highly publicised breaches of COVID-19 regulations. The report not only analyses these events but also includes a comprehensive table documenting recent antisemitic incidents across various locations in Victoria, ranging from Richmond to Mount Martha.
Highlighted among the incidents reported are threatening letters sent to a Jewish organisation, Jewish youths at a scout camp being told to “gas themselves”, and graffiti at a St Kilda tram stop accusing Jewish individuals of child abuse. The data for the report is derived from the national antisemitism report compiled annually by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, which relies on incidents reported to the State CSGs, State roof bodies and the ECAJ itself. The inaugural edition of the Victorian Antisemitism Report covers incidents from 2019 to early 2023, with future reports to focus on annual data.
Daniel Aghion KC, President of the JCCV, expressed gratitude for the long-standing national report on antisemitism compiled by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, emphasising its vital role in understanding and addressing the challenges faced by the Australian Jewish community. He said: “The national report is an indispensable resource that has given us the opportunity to best understand the challenge we face, but also to efficiently and effectively direct community effort and resources.
What we have been missing in Victoria though, is analysis of antisemitism at a local level. This first edition of the Victorian Antisemitism Report fills this gap.”
Justin Kagan, CEO of CSG Victoria, outlined the organisation’s clear definition of an antisemitic incident, which enables effective data collection. According to Kagan, an act is deemed antisemitic if it demonstrates malicious intent toward individuals, organisations, or properties associated with the Jewish community, either through evidence of antisemitic motivation or content or through specific targeting based on Jewish identity or perceived Jewishness.
Aghion and Kagan emphasised their satisfaction with the collaboration and urged policymakers, law enforcement, human rights leaders, and the community at large to carefully review the report. They stressed the importance of developing an evidence-based plan that prioritises education, a robust legal framework, and steadfast leadership to prevent further incidents of antisemitism. By working together, they believe that positive change can be achieved.
The report can be accessed at https://shorturl.at/xMOW1.
