Since October 7, 2023, waves of antisemitism have surged across many countries worldwide, reaching unprecedented levels and marked, among other things, by violence against Israelis and Jews, vandalism of synagogues, and more. Alongside the U.S., Canada, and European countries, it is essential to recognize the troubling trend in Australia and to try to understand why this country—long considered friendly to Israel—has also experienced such a sharp escalation.
The arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue earlier last month—while worshippers were inside—was the second in the city and the third in Australia since late 2024. Alongside a broad antisemitic and anti-Israel campaign on social media, numerous cases of harassment have been recorded, primarily on campuses, along with demonstrations and property damage. For instance, dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators recently attacked an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne, smashed windows, and shouted “Death to the IDF.”
Jewish communities across Australia report a sense of fear, declining personal security, and frustration that authorities are not acting adequately and are failing to halt the trend. What has caused the rise of antisemitism in Australia? How are the government and authorities dealing with it? Who are the actors behind these outbursts of hate, and how is all this affecting Jewish immigration from the fifth continent to Israel?
A Surge of Hundreds of Percent in Antisemitic Incidents
A May report by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry presents a very troubling picture of antisemitism in Australia, home to a Jewish community of about 120,000—around half a percent of the country’s population. Since the start of the “Iron Swords” war, Australian Jews have faced a sharp rise and a combined, violent wave of antisemitic, anti-Zionist, and anti-Israel incidents and demonstrations, along with rampant incitement on social media. It turns out the roots of this phenomenon stretch back years.
According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), 472 antisemitic incidents were recorded in 2022—a slight decrease from the previous “peak” in 2021, but still above the decade’s average. In 2024 (after October 7), there was a more than 500 percent increase in antisemitic incidents, both physical and digital, with over 3,000 reported cases. These ranged from hate graffiti, regular mass demonstrations, harassment of Jewish students on campuses, synagogue arson attacks, protests outside Jewish restaurants, and even physical assaults on Jews in the streets.
Compared to previous years, this has been the most severe year for antisemitism since systematic monitoring began in Australia. According to the Diaspora Affairs Ministry report, this time the scale is unprecedented—even compared with waves following IDF operations in Gaza over the past decade (such as “Protective Edge” or “Guardian of the Walls”).
As a result, from late 2023, Jewish/Israeli students at universities refrained from displaying Zionist/Israeli symbols, and some even avoided campuses altogether out of fear of harassment over their Jewish or Israeli identity. Since then, the situation has only worsened.
As elsewhere in the world, in Australia too, social media—particularly X (formerly Twitter)—has become one of the central arenas for incitement. Prominent hashtags include #gazagenocide and #gazaholocaust, appearing in thousands of posts every week in Australia, especially in Melbourne and Sydney. The number of antisemitic posts per capita in Australia is now among the highest in the Western world, reflecting a deep penetration of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel narratives into the local discourse.
In addition, Telegram groups and others organize “field actions” against Jewish businesses or community events. These groups operate with clandestine features similar to other extremist antisemitic movements worldwide. Influential online figures such as Robert Martin and Caitlin Johnstone also contribute to the spread of antisemitism.
Academia and Schools as Targets for Incitement
Since the start of “Iron Swords,” Jewish educational institutions—schools, kindergartens, and community centers—have become targets of incitement and violence, leading to a sharp erosion in the sense of security among community members. In this context, a parliamentary inquiry in New South Wales revealed that children and youth in Sydney’s Jewish schools were subjected to death threats and abuse. The state’s legislative council launched the inquiry following several antisemitic incidents in Sydney, and the committee is expected to submit its findings by September.
The committee revealed, among other things, that students in Jewish educational institutions were subjected to egg-throwing, chased in the streets, confronted with Nazi salutes, and received death threats—all intended to humiliate and intimidate them. Sydney’s Jewish community reports at least one such incident per week over the past two years, with a similar picture emerging in Melbourne and other Jewish population centers.
Another example was seen in February this year in Sydney’s Kingsford and Randwick neighborhoods, which host significant Jewish communities, when hate graffiti was painted on fences, garage doors, and vehicles, and even in cities on the opposite end of Australia, such as Perth, swastikas and antisemitic graffiti appeared.
The situation in academia is no less severe. At several universities and educational institutions, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, demonstrations and attacks against Jewish students have taken place. At the University of Sydney, pro-Palestinian student groups held prolonged protests during 2024, including erecting makeshift tent camps, seizing campus buildings, and chanting “from the river to the sea.” Numerous reports were also recorded of threats, vandalism of Jewish organization booths, exclusion of Jewish lecturers, and the distribution of antisemitic posters in hallways. Many student unions (particularly at Monash, Melbourne, and Sydney universities) adopted explicitly anti-Israel positions.
In light of this, in the summer of last year, the Australian opposition called for a Senate inquiry into antisemitism on campuses. In September of that year, Jillian Segal, the government’s special envoy for combating the phenomenon, declared that antisemitism in universities had become “systemic.” In the same month, during the Senate inquiry, Mark Scott, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, admitted that the academic institution had “failed to protect its Jewish students.”
Detailed Guides for “Direct Action”
The recent wave of antisemitism in Australia is organized by a coalition of anti-Israel groups and organizations—some with a background in radical Islamism, others anarchist, and still others representing what is known as the “radical pro-Palestinian left.” The most prominent and likely the most violent sector behind this recent surge is made up of pro-Palestinian activists who immigrated to Australia from Arab and Muslim countries, mainly from the Middle East—primarily Lebanese or of Palestinian origin—some of whom support Hamas and Hezbollah.
Among the radical pro-Palestinian groups, the following are particularly prominent: Justice for Palestine Brisbane, Palestinian Solidarity Campaign Australia, Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), and Free Palestine Melbourne (FPM). These are well-organized actors operating online, in academia, on the streets, and within the political system, using “progressive” language that blurs the line between legitimate criticism of policy and racist hatred of Jews.
APAN is one of the most prominent and organized groups in Australia advocating for Palestinian rights. Its activities include organizing demonstrations, applying political pressure, and promoting legislation such as the “Red Lines Package” and sanctions against Israel. Its members face sharp criticism and attacks from the Jewish community and civil security movements, who claim the group embeds anti-Israel positions that verge on antisemitic incitement.
Free Palestine Melbourne (FPM) is an active group that organizes weekly protests in Melbourne and Sydney. Its activity includes support for boycotts of companies linked to Israel as well as financial institutions it accuses of aiding annexation or military activity. Recently, the group began distributing “direct action guides” that include instructions for using clandestine methods in actions involving property damage and incitement against Jewish institutions.
Most of the organizations listed are characterized by organizing protests in central locations, including outside Jewish institutions and Israeli businesses; by using extreme slogans such as “From the river to the sea,” “Death to IDF,” and comparisons to Nazism; and by maintaining close ties with BDS and other anti-Zionist groups worldwide.
Among the radical Muslim groups, the global Islamist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia stands out, known for openly preaching against Jews and Israel in mosques and online, promoting ideas of a worldwide caliphate, delegitimizing Israel, and justifying jihad.
On the radical left and anarchist side, groups such as Socialist Alternative Australia and the Refugee Action Collective stand out, combining anti-colonial ideology with anti-Zionism and anti-Israel rhetoric, supporting boycotts of Israel and the “de-Zionization” of academic campuses. Some even target Jews who are not Zionists, accusing them of being “collaborators with apartheid.”
Are These Really “the Toughest Laws”?
Despite criticism of the Australian government and other authorities in the country, it is important to note several significant steps. These include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s condemnation of some violent incidents and the reinforcement of police security in certain areas around Jewish institutions. In addition, resources have been allocated for monitoring extremist groups.
On July 9, 2024, Jillian Segal was appointed as Australia’s chief representative in the fight against antisemitism—the first such appointment of its kind and indeed an essential declarative move. Her role was defined as “acting as a bridge” between the Jewish community in Australia, anti-discrimination experts, and government authorities, to develop effective strategies to combat antisemitism and preserve social harmony. It is indeed an important role—but has she been given the tools and powers to fulfill it?
Immediately after the arson attack at a Melbourne synagogue in December 2024, the federal police (AFP) established Special Operation Avalite, aimed at investigating threats, violence, and hatred directed against Australia’s Jewish community. The task force operates in cooperation with ASIO (the domestic security service) and state police. It is designed to deal with prominent antisemitic cases, including hate crimes, threats, and physical assaults.
As early as January 10, 2025—one month after its establishment—it was reported that 124 cases had been referred to the task force, of which 102 were decided for investigation. That same month, Segal criticized the lenient sentences handed down for antisemitic offenses, describing them as undermining efforts to address hate crimes against the Jewish community in Australia, and called for punishing those who attack synagogues.
In light of the rise in violent actions against synagogues and Jewish institutions since late 2023, Segal urged Prime Minister Albanese to convene an emergency cabinet meeting. She argued that immediate action was needed to implement stricter sentencing guidelines and ensure more consistent prosecution of antisemitic hate crime offenders. The Prime Minister rejected her requests, ruling that sentencing should be left to judges and that a national cabinet would not be convened, since he had already discussed the issue with the premiers of Victoria and New South Wales.
However, following the attack on a childcare center in Sydney and renewed calls for the establishment of a national cabinet, the Prime Minister did convene the National Cabinet to discuss coordinating efforts in the fight against antisemitism. An immediate outcome of the discussion was the creation of a national database to monitor crimes, incidents, and behaviors related to antisemitism.
On July 10 this year, as part of a comprehensive report she published, Segal highlighted the continued worsening of antisemitism and included recommendations for 49 urgent and essential actions required across several key areas:
- Media and public institutions: recommendations for oversight of public media, publication of reports, and limiting grants, including the possibility of withdrawing support from bodies that fail to address antisemitism.
- Universities and educational institutions: use of a “ranking report” to assess how institutions respond to antisemitism, and the ability to revoke government funding from institutions that fail to address hate incidents or physical assaults. The recommendations also include strengthening legislation condemning the use of Nazi symbols and preventing harmful discourse.
- Education and immigration training: integrating Holocaust and antisemitism education into curricula, and training immigration authorities to screen applicants with extremist or antisemitic views; also recommending visa cancellation for those involved in such cases.
- Adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism as a guiding document to identify antisemitic expressions and as a tool for decisions on cutting funding or revoking legal status from bodies that fail to combat the phenomenon.
At the report’s presentation, Segal called on the Australian government to withhold funding from universities, NGOs, and cultural institutions that do not take steps against manifestations of hatred toward Jews. Under her proposals, universities and artists would lose funding if they did not act against antisemitism, and the government would gain new powers to deport tourists. There would also be monitoring of media coverage of the issue and strengthening of anti-antisemitism educational content in schools and workplaces.
Following the report’s release, Prime Minister Albanese said he would consider the recommendations and declared, “There is no place for antisemitism in Australia. The kind of hatred and violence we have seen recently on our streets is despicable and unacceptable. I want those responsible to face the full force of the law.”
Additionally, from the beginning of this year, Australian authorities have begun tightening penalties for hate crimes. From now on, anyone caught spreading hate symbols (such as a Nazi salute) and encouraging terrorist attacks will face a prison sentence of one to six years. Official government sources have even described the legislative amendments as “the toughest laws Australia has ever had against hate crimes.”
Claims of Government-Backed Tailwinds for Antisemitism
Alongside strict legislation against perpetrators of hate crimes and antisemitism, several vital steps remain unaddressed. For instance, hesitation persists regarding the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Despite broad support for its principles, the definition has yet to be formally endorsed at the federal level. There is also a lack of enforcement on social media platforms: antisemitic posts are often left online, even when they contain explicit calls for violence.
Another primary concern is the disregard for incitement within academia and professional associations, where higher education institutions and political allies of anti-Israel groups continue to spread hatred under the guise of “support for Palestinians.” Moreover, there is a striking absence of institutional education against antisemitism; Australia still lacks a systemic program to address the phenomenon among youth or online.
Many in the Jewish community, as well as other voices, argue that the Australian government’s policy toward Israel and its various actions regarding the war in Gaza give tailwinds to antisemitism. For example, in October 2024, following allegations against Israel for killing civilians, the Australian government announced it would review all 66 defense export licenses approved for Israel before the outbreak of the war.
In November 2024, Australia voted at the UN in favor of a resolution demanding an end to “Israel’s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as soon as possible,” alongside 156 other countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. Eight countries, including Argentina, Israel, and the United States, voted against, while seven abstained. On June 10 this year, Australia, together with New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Norway, announced sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
The rise of antisemitism and the general atmosphere in Australia are also reflected in the growing number of immigrants to Israel. According to data from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, in 2024, approximately 200 Jews immigrated, compared to 125 the previous year—a 60 percent increase. This trend has continued into the current year, with a sharp rise in case openings and interest in immigration to Israel, surpassing that of any previous year.
The rise of antisemitism in Australia is therefore not a passing episode but a systemic and dangerous phenomenon. If Australian society does not awaken, the Jewish community may once again find itself fighting for its right to live in safety—even in a country it once considered a secure home. In this distant continent, where Jews flourished and prospered in recent decades, a severe threat is now emerging. The large Jewish community, most of which lives in Melbourne and Sydney, has become a target of hate.
The Australian public and government must understand—just like their European counterparts—that “new” antisemitism, with all its manifestations of hatred and violence, is a warning light not only for Jews but for Australian democracy itself. It is only a matter of time before it expands to other groups as well.
