Antisemitism Report 2009 - World Jewish Congress

4.4 Middle East Politics
Israel receives extensive but generally superficial coverage in the Australian mass media.
The propaganda ploy of presenting those responsible for the introduction of violence into a
situation where peaceful negotiations were proceeding, as if they were the victims of some
unprovoked brutality, was carried in a number of sections of the Australian media,
sometimes with enthusiasm and often without reasoned analysis.
Those who have broad antisemitic agendas have found this situation a useful pretext for
voicing their anti-Jewish prejudices and incitements. Others who may in different
circumstances be opposed to racism sometimes added their voices and contributed opinions,
which have included the attribution of racial characteristics to Jews.
Sydney CBD, January 2009
The volume of antisemitism in public discourse, particularly in the wake of the 2001 and
2002 terrorist bombings, Israel‘s battles with Hezbollah and Hamas in mid-2006 and
Operation Cast Lead in December 2008/January 2009, have had few precedents in Australia.
The most disturbing feature of the debate in Australia on the Middle East was the way in
which overt anti-Jewish comments went uncriticised by those who proclaim that their
criticism of Israel is in no way related to criticism of Jews. Paul Sheehan reported that at a
Melbourne anti-Israel rally (4/1/09) signs included ―Chosen dirty people of the earth‖, but
that these were not treated as problematic by most participants.
Sections of the Islamic community, the Arab Australian community and the political left
openly supported the overtly antisemitic Hamas, both in its attacks on Israel and in
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