Jewish community members in Canberra who have advocated for Palestinian rights are urging the federal government to ensure new laws responding to the Bondi Beach terrorist attack do not erode fundamental civil liberties, particularly the right to peaceful protest.
A Community's Dual Grief and Concern
David Hermolin, a Jewish man based in the ACT, described feeling devastated by the mass shooting on December 14, which claimed 15 innocent lives. He noted that many of the first messages of comfort he received came from Palestinian-Australians.
In the aftermath, Mr Hermolin, who is part of the Jewish Collective Canberra, said he felt personally attacked for his involvement in protests criticising the Israeli government's actions in Gaza. He argued this criticism is wrongly conflated with anti-Semitism.
"It feels like you are sitting shiva and then people show up at the home of mourners and start blaming you for the reason you are aggrieved," he told The Canberra Times.
He expressed concern that the Albanese government's response, unveiled last week, had only listened to one segment of the Jewish community. "I would love them to stop the knee-jerk reactions and to take a much more holistic approach," Mr Hermolin said.
Government Action and Calls for Inclusive Consultation
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Tuesday that Attorney-General Michelle Rowland had begun drafting legislation to strengthen hate speech laws. This forms part of a broader plan to tackle anti-Semitism.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated the drafting was "being done in consultation with the leadership of the Jewish community," emphasising that "hate speech is the precursor to hate violence."
However, Ohad Kozminsky, an executive member of the Jewish Council of Australia, urged the government to consult with diverse Jewish views. He supported strong action but called for it to align with a petition from his organisation, which includes measures like:
- Adopting the Australian Human Rights Commission's national anti-racism framework.
- Protecting the right to peaceful protest.
- Combating online hate and improving gun laws.
- Launching cross-cultural initiatives.
"Anti-Semitism is a form of racism that has existed for a long, long time," Mr Kozminsky said. "But the Jews are not unique in this... One of the most fundamental things that we think keeps everyone safe from racism is to recognise that racism is a scourge that affects many communities."
Safeguarding Speech While Condemning Violence
Both Mr Hermolin and Mr Kozminsky stressed that condemning the Bondi massacre and advocating for Palestinian human rights are not mutually exclusive positions.
"It is not a contradiction to be horrified by the massacre of Bondi and to be entirely against it and at the same time stand up for the basic human rights of the Palestinian people," Mr Kozminsky, a teacher, stated.
ACT independent senator David Pocock echoed the need for a balanced approach, calling for "acknowledging all perspectives, fears and concerns and standing against hate and extremism."
The proposed new laws are set to include increased penalties for hate speech promoting violence and a new aggravated offence for community leaders who incite violence. It remains unclear whether specific protest chants like "from the river to the sea" will be outlawed.
When asked about this, Mr Albanese said, "Australians want two things. They want killing to stop in the Middle East, but they also don't want conflict brought here."
Meanwhile, the ACT government has announced it will tighten its own anti-vilification laws next year, and the NSW Minns government is moving to temporarily ban protests.
