australia Archives – J-Wire

Australian Jewish leaders stand with Israel but question death penalty law

J-Wire News Service — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 02:47:29 +0000

Leading Australian Jewish organisations have raised concerns over new Israeli legislation introducing the death penalty for terrorists while reaffirming their strong support for Israel and its people. In a statement issued today, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry noted the Knesset had passed the Death Penalty for Terrorists, 5786–2026 bill by 62 votes to 48. […]

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“An act of national self-sabotage” – Jewish leaders condemn Auburn rally

J-Wire News Service — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 04:35:23 +0000

Jewish leaders have criticised a protest held in Sydney’s west that openly supported Iran’s Islamist regime, PFLP and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah. The gathering occurred in Auburn on Saturday night, with community representatives arguing that authorities failed to intervene and that this risks undermining laws designed to address extremism. Around 80 people attended the […]

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Hunters Hill Council takes stand against antisemitism

Rob Klein — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 22:15:58 +0000

Hunters Hill Council in NSW has adopted a landmark strategy to combat antisemitism, positioning itself at the forefront of local government responses to rising hate and community tensions across Australia. Councillors unanimously backed the plan at the council meeting on Monday 23 March, endorsing a framework that draws on best practice from other councils and […]

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‘Battle is over’: advocate’s relief as abuser sentenced

AAP J-Wire — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 05:24:04 +0000

A convicted child abuser has walked away from court with a suspended prison sentence, leaving his victim pleased the case is finally over. The battle is over for prominent victim advocate Manny Waks after his abuser was sentenced for sexually exploiting him at a Jewish holy festival close to four decades ago. “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof” […]

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Jewish leaders highlight imbalance in Australia NZ Gaza statement

J-Wire Newsdesk — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 03:17:18 +0000

The Australian and New Zealand foreign and defence ministers have issued a joint statement criticising Israeli actions in Gaza while making no direct reference to Hamas. This decision has prompted concern from Jewish community leaders about what they describe as an increasingly one-sided diplomatic framing of the conflict. In a statement released on Tuesday 17 […]

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Iran retaliates striking Tel Aviv with cluster warheads

Agencies — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:33:02 +0000

Iran has used cluster warheads to attack on Tel Aviv, in retaliation for Israel’s killing of the Islamic Republic’s powerful security chief Ali Larijani. An elderly couple in their 70s were killed early Wednesday when cluster munitions fired from Iran struck a residential building in the central Israeli city of Ramat Gan on Wednesday morning. […]

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NSW government moves to ban public display of IRGC and Hizb ut-Tahrir symbols

Rob Klein — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:12:29 +0000

“There is no place in NSW for hateful, extremist conduct,” State Attorney General Michael Daley said today. The New South Wales Government will introduce legislation today to criminalise the public display of symbols linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Islamist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir. The move is aimed at closing gaps in […]

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Leeser calls for rethink of antisemitism education at UNESCO schools forum

Rob Klein — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:40:55 +0000

Shadow Education Minister Julian Leeser has called for a fundamental shift in how antisemitism is taught in Australian schools, warning that decades of Holocaust-focused education have failed to prevent rising hostility towards Jews. Speaking today at a national dialogue for the UNESCO National Approach to Addressing Antisemitism in Schools initiative, Leeser told educators and policymakers […]

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Inside Australia’s long fight against antisemitism

Rob Klein — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 06:48:13 +0000

Australia’s antisemitism crisis did not begin with the Bondi terror attack on 14 December 2025, but that night forced the country to confront it. The massacre, which killed 15 people at a Chanukah gathering, turned a growing problem into a national reckoning. Speaking exclusively to J-Wire, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Segal reflects […]

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Israeli Reform Movement head steps in for UIA Progressive Appeal

J-Wire News Service — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 20:55:56 +0000

Lesley Sachs, chairperson of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), will address this year’s UIA Progressive Appeal events in Australia after the war with Iran prevented the originally scheduled guest speaker from travelling. Sachs was visiting family in Melbourne when the conflict disrupted international travel and left her unable to return home to […]

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