Jews know who we are — it’s time others did too

Antisemitism in Australia has reached a point where the government is finally — and seemingly — doing something about it, declaring that something must change.

But amid this long-overdue response, one essential truth is being overlooked: if we’re going to combat antisemitism seriously, we must begin by understanding how we as Jews consider our own identity, not how others choose to define it for us.

That misunderstanding sits at the heart of much of the public confusion around modern antisemitism. While the broader community talks about Jews, very few seem to take the time to listen to Jews — to understand how we see ourselves, what matters to us, and what forms the core of our identity. Until they do, attempts to address antisemitism will remain surface-level and ultimately ineffective.

Jewish identity is not just a faith. It’s not simply a culture. It’s not only a history of persecution. It is all of those things and more — a shared peoplehood grounded in tradition, resilience, and an enduring connection to our ancestral homeland. That connection has a name: Zionism.

For most Jews, Zionism isn’t a political stance — it’s a lived truth. It’s not about agreeing with every Israeli government or defending every policy. It’s about recognising that the Jewish people have the right — like any other people — to self-determination in our historic homeland. That right is central to who we are, and to how we see ourselves as Jews. It is not something that can be separated, sanitised, or suspended just because others find it uncomfortable.

And yet, time and again, Jewish identity is filtered through the lens of outsiders — politicians, journalists, activists — or even a small number of individuals with Jewish backgrounds who speak loudly in the media while standing far from the communal mainstream. These voices speak of “de-Zionising Judaism,” of reshaping our identity to suit contemporary ideological trends. But what they’re really calling for is the erasure of what most Jews hold as fundamental.

These fringe voices are frequently used by those outside our community as a convenient shield — to say, “see, some Jews agree with us” — while pushing narratives that delegitimise Israel and demonise those who support it. Let’s be absolutely clear: these voices do not represent the Jewish community. They do not represent the way we see ourselves. And their prominence in public debate says more about the agendas of those who platform them than it does about Jewish identity itself.

The recently released National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism rightly highlights the importance of education. But education must start with listening — and it must be honest. If we attempt to teach about antisemitism while avoiding any mention of Zionism or Israel, we are not educating — we are distorting. Worse, we’re laying the groundwork for future misunderstanding, resentment, and exclusion.

At StandWithUs, we engage in education that reflects how Jews understand ourselves. We bring that message into schools, universities, and community spaces. We explain what Zionism means to us — why it is central, not peripheral, to Jewish identity — and why attacks on that identity are not simply political arguments, but often expressions of antisemitism.

Because when Jewish students are targeted for expressing pride in Israel, when Jewish businesses are vandalised with anti-Zionist slogans, or when Jews are told they must renounce Zionism to be accepted, those aren’t isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a deeper ignorance about who we are — and a dangerous refusal to let us define ourselves on our own terms.

It’s time we stopped tiptoeing around this. We cannot fight antisemitism effectively if we avoid talking about Israel. We cannot build understanding if we pretend Zionism is something optional or fringe. And we certainly can’t create safer spaces for Jewish Australians while denying the very identity that binds us together.

The truth is: the Jewish community knows exactly who we are. What we need now is for the broader community to take the time to understand it, not reinterpret it.

This moment requires more than symbolic gestures and policy papers. It requires a willingness to engage with the reality of Jewish identity, as it is, not as others wish it to be. Only then can we begin to confront the hate, misinformation, and exclusion that have made antisemitism once again a defining issue of our time.

We know who we are. It’s time others stopped trying to rewrite it — and started listening.

By Michael Gencher – Executive Director, StandWithUs Australia