Antisemitism Report 2009 - World Jewish Congress

1.0 INTRODUCTION
This report marks the 20 th year in which the author has compiled, analysed and reported on
the many phenomena which together constitute antisemitism in Australia. The Jewish
community‘s elected representative organisation, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry
(ECAJ), has recognised the importance of having an annual, national assessment which
pooled the research conducted at a local level and provided year to year and region to region
comparisons and requested the author report on this subject to its Annual Meeting in 1990
and all years subsequent. As a professional employed by the Australia/Israel & Jewish
Affairs Council (AIJAC) with expertise in research and analysis of this subject, the author
has enjoyed strong cooperation in compiling material from the ECAJ‘s affiliates, Jewish
organisations and other groups and individuals concerned with racism and antisemitism. The
report has been issued as a stand-alone written document for more than a decade, distributed
to Councillors of the ECAJ to inform and guide their deliberations, to opinion leaders within
and outside the Jewish community and to a diverse range of other agencies.
The most significant developments over the past 20 years have been the crossing of a variety
of ―red lines‖ in anti-Jewish rhetoric, particularly from sections of the political Left relating
to false and offensive comparisons of Israel/Jews with Nazis/Nazism and unashamed
association with fascist and antisemitic groups such as HAMAS; the growth of a diverse,
dynamic Muslim community which has segments which are actively anti-Jewish (as well as
those who are actively opposed to antisemitism); the continued failure of far-right groups to
gain traction, despite outbursts of xenophobia beyond the far right extremes; the diminution
in significance of Eastern and Central European post-war migrants as a base of antisemitism;
a number of positive developments from Churches in attitudes to Jews and Judaism; the
introduction of Federal, and development of State and Territory, legislation designed to give
recourse to victims of racism and religious discrimination/harassment; the
internationalisation of a number of strands of antisemitic activity, through improved
communication technology and also movements of individuals and populations; the
enlistment of persons who identify as Jewish in support of a variety of anti-Jewish slurs; and
the exponential growth and now pervasiveness of on-line technology, which has changed the
modes and ease by which antisemites can abuse, harass and intimidate, reshaped and
improved the relationships between local, regional, national and international antisemitic
groups, resulted in the dissolution of the concept of common information, provided isolated
and alienated individuals with the ability to broadcast their views widely and forced those
concerned with racism and antisemitism to re-evaluate strategies for containment of, and
response to, these negative and destructive concepts.
It is also significant that over this period there have been major developments and
improvements in international coordination confronting and responding to antisemitism. The
author of this paper has been involved in international initiatives to enhance intercommunity
relations, develop the capacity of Jewish organisations to protect and promote
their interests and in improving monitoring and analysis of antisemitism. The general
assessment of Australia, in this context, is that the balance between philosemitism, neutrality
and antisemitism in Australia has been, and remains, amongst the most favourable, if not
the best, of all the countries in which there are functioning Jewish communities.
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