Have we heard something like this before?
The NSW Government has announced new and tougher penalties for Nazi chants, slogans and conduct, including prison terms, heavy fines and expanded police powers. On the surface, it sounds strong and decisive. It sounds like the kind of action the community has finally been waiting for.
Michael Gencher
But we have been here before, haven’t we?
When NSW banned the public display of Nazi symbols in 2022, the community was told that we had reached a turning point. We were told that extremist displays would no longer be tolerated. We were told that the Jewish community could feel safer and that the law would finally catch up with the rising tide of hate. Yet what actually unfolded was something very different. Prosecutions were rare. Warnings replaced consequences. And extremist groups did not recede from public view. They grew bolder.
So the question now is unavoidable. What is going to be different this time? Will these new laws lead to actual enforcement, or will they become another round of strong declarations without meaningful follow-through?
The legislation itself is serious. It targets not only symbols but chants, slogans, gestures, and other conduct used to intimidate or to signal support for Nazi ideology. It gives police a clearer basis to intervene and it gives prosecutors the tools to bring cases that previously fell through the cracks. Courts are now equipped to impose penalties that reflect the gravity of the threat.
But laws only matter when authorities act on them. We have watched extremist groups chant outside Parliament. We have seen hateful banners displayed in broad daylight. We have seen intimidating behaviour directed at Jewish schools, synagogues, and community institutions. Through it all, we have been told that existing powers were enough. If they were enough, we would not be facing the reality we see today.
For Jewish Australians, this is not an academic exercise. It is the lived experience of being targeted in public, on campuses, and online. A Nazi chant outside a Jewish venue is not a statement of opinion. It is an act intended to frighten and to test boundaries. A Nazi slogan shouted at a Jewish student is not political debate. It is harassment, plain and simple.
This is why the community does not simply need promises. It needs visible outcomes. Every time government statements declare zero tolerance and nothing happens afterwards, extremists learn that the system will talk loudly but act softly. This has real consequences for safety and confidence in public life.
If the new laws are to mean anything, several things must happen. Police must actively investigate breaches rather than treating them as low level incidents. Charges must be laid. Prosecutors must pursue these cases with determination. Courts must treat these offences with the seriousness they warrant. And the government must publish transparent data so the public can see whether the laws are being used or sit idle.
Only when we see real enforcement can these new measures have credibility. Only when people are held accountable can the Jewish community and all other targeted groups trust that the state’s commitment to their safety is genuine. Without action, these laws risk becoming little more than gestures, just like the measures announced in previous years that failed to deliver real change.
This moment still has the potential to be a turning point. The intent is there. The tools are now there. There is widespread public expectation that extremist behaviour will no longer be excused or ignored. But good intentions only matter when they translate into action. Words are not enough. Announcements are not enough. Our community does not need another promise. We need protection.
We have heard these assurances before. We have heard the declarations of zero tolerance before. Now the task is simple and urgent. Use the laws. Lay the charges. Secure the convictions. Show that the safety of Jewish Australians and other vulnerable communities is not just a line in a press release but a priority backed by meaningful enforcement.
If not now, when?
Michael Gencher is the Executive Director, StandWithUs Australia
