Disturbing conversations with friends and acquaintances have left journalist Steve Evans deeply concerned about a growing confusion surrounding anti-Semitism in contemporary Australia. In a recent piece for The Echidna newsletter, Evans recounts being told by people he counts as friends that "It wasn't only Jews who died in the Holocaust," and by a young person that "Jews don't get discriminated against." Perhaps most shockingly, the ultra-liberal sister of a friend stated, "Jews seem to control everything"—an ancient anti-Semitic trope Evans was amazed to hear uttered by an intelligent person in 2025.
The Erosion of a Clear Definition
For Evans, born to parents who lived through World War II, the Holocaust remains the central, horrifying fact of the era. He views the minimisation of its import, where six million Jews were murdered compared to half a million Roma and Sinti, as a form of anti-Semitism. He laments that for half a century, such Holocaust distortion was unsayable outside of extremist circles, but now seems to find voice among those who consider themselves progressive.
The core of the problem, Evans argues, is a fundamental conflation. Antipathy towards Jews has become muddled with legitimate anger at the policies and actions of the Israeli government. This blurring of lines, he suggests, has "opened the door to anti-Semitism among those who would be horrified to think of themselves that way." He stresses that anti-Semitism and being anti-Israel are distinct, drawing a parallel: we do not hold all Russians responsible for Putin's invasion of Ukraine, nor do we tar all Americans with a Trumpian brush.
Case in Point: The Wollongong Council Decision
This confusion, Evans believes, was exemplified by a recent local decision. He states that Wollongong City Council's move to fly the Israeli flag at half-mast in memory of the victims of the Bondi attack was a mistake. He sees it as an error both by the council and by the Jewish community for requesting it, as it conflated a condemnation of anti-Semitism with being pro-Israel, thereby muddying the waters further.
Evans identifies two groups that share blame for the current state of confusion. First, defenders of Israel who are too quick to accuse critics of Israeli actions in Gaza of anti-Semitism. He cites historian Mark Mazower, who in his new book On Antisemitism criticises tactics like the Simon Wiesenthal Center's "Global Anti-Semitism Top Ten" list for naming entities like Ben & Jerry's alongside Hamas and Iran.
The Selective Outrage of the Hard Left
The second group, in Evans's view, is the hard left. He questions why its activists reserve their most fervent anger for the brutality of the Jewish state while paying less attention to Russian actions in Ukraine, the persecution of Muslims in Burma, or the slaughter in Sudan. "When did you see a mass demonstration in Australia against the slaughter in Sudan?" he asks.
Evans reports that he often challenges Gaza pamphleteers on this point of selective outrage. "I'm yet to hear an answer which convinces me that there isn't hidden anti-Semitism there," he writes. His central question is pointed: "If you hold the Jewish state to a higher standard, isn't that anti-Semitism?"
His conclusion is a call for a return to principle. Anti-Semitism, like all racism, must be condemned without qualification, muddy waters, weasel words, ifs, or buts. The need for clear thought has never been more urgent.
In related news mentioned in the newsletter: Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard accused Anthony Albanese of "letting the Jewish community down" by failing to denounce anti-Semitism energetically. Meanwhile, PM Albanese visited Ahmed Al Ahmed, the shop owner who helped disarm a Bondi gunman, in hospital. Separately, the ACCC has taken meal-kit companies HelloFresh and Youfoodz to court over alleged "subscription traps" affecting over 100,000 customers.
