The executive officer of the Jewish Council of Australia, Sarah Schwartz, has made a submission to the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, arguing that far-right extremism and the conflation of Jewish identity with Israel are the main drivers of antisemitism in Australia.
Key Drivers of Antisemitism
In its submission, the progressive Jewish group calls for more focus on the "often overlooked" threat from the far right and recognition of the diversity of views within the Jewish community. The submission criticizes the "tendency to treat Jews collectively as representatives of Israel", which it says is a conflation that the state of Israel has long cultivated and that causes direct harm to Jewish people worldwide.
Executive officer Sarah Schwartz stated that the "resurgent Australian far-right is a hotbed of antisemitism even as it weaponises Jewish grief to legitimise attacks on migrant communities and religious minorities." The submission identifies two important drivers: the growth of far-right, neo-Nazi, and conspiracist movements, and the aggressive actions of the state of Israel combined with the conflation of Jewish identity with Israel.
Diverse Views Within the Jewish Community
The debate over identification with Israel is multifaceted. Other submissions to the commission include statements from Australian Jews who strongly identify with the state, such as Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, which has been critical of the JCA. Vic Alhadeff, former chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, told the commission: "Jewish Australians have no agency in what the Israel Defense Force does, or indeed what the Israeli government does. And yet so much of the manifestation of antisemitic incidents and attacks is interlaced with, and references, what is taking place on the other side of the world."
The government's special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, told Commissioner Virginia Bell that conflation of the Israeli government with Jewish people is Australia's "fastest-growing" form of antisemitism.
Commission Hearings and Submissions
The commission has received more than 16,000 submissions, according to its website. Submissions are not being made public, but organisations and individuals can share their own. Others that have done so include the Zionist Federation of Australia and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
The next block of hearings, from 29 June to 10 July, will focus on the drivers of antisemitism and hate speech, with a focus on media and social media.
JCA's Position and Recommendations
The JCA describes itself as Australia's largest progressive Jewish organisation, supporting human rights and Palestinian freedom and justice, with a membership of 2,500 people. It argues that antisemitism is real and rising, but dominant policy responses—"punitive legislation, conflation-reinforcing definitions, and the silencing of political dissent"—actually make it worse.
The submission argues that evidence shows punitive approaches such as hate speech laws do not reduce racism, and there is a "significant risk" that restrictions on pro-Palestinian speech and protest, when justified by invocations of Jewish safety, will backfire and weaken social cohesion. It calls for responsible reporting principles, such as not interviewing extremists and blurring banners at protests.
