Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this month, a motion in the House of Representatives included an acknowledgement of the rise in antisemitic incidents in Australia of more than 40 per cent since 2020. It also acknowledged the work that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance does to promote Holocaust remembrance and combat antisemitism, and the need to reaffirm the House's commitment to the great work over the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism and the compelling justifications behind this working definition. Reviewing that discussion in the other place, this significant rise in antisemitic behaviour and the important advances that have been made in defining 'antisemitism' causes me tonight to stand up in the Senate and add my support to that motion supported in the House of Representatives. In indicating my support for that motion, I also indicate the importance of highlighting the work that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance does to promote education about the Holocaust and counter antisemitism. The 40 per cent figure I referred to earlier—actually 41.9 per cent, almost 42 per cent—was reported by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, who utilised the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism to record the trend.

The SBS recently published an article detailing some of the specific instances of anti-Jewish bigotry and listed everything from vandalism to assault. The article reported cases like Orthodox Jewish men in Melbourne being verbally abused and physically assaulted, with their religious garments forcibly removed. That happens in Australia. In another instance a Jewish man in Sydney's Bondi was told he did not belong in the area, before having his hat taken from his head and thrown to the ground. That happens in Australia. In the 2022 federal election we witnessed appalling vandalism on advertisements of Jewish candidates from both major parties.

These problems sadly extend also to our university campuses. As the member for Berowra noted in the other place a few weeks ago, universities are becoming the epicentre of the rise in anti-Jewish sentiment, even in Australia. There are instances where extremist groups of the Left and Right join forces to attack Israel and Jewish people more generally.

In accordance with the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition on antisemitism, hostility towards the legitimacy of Israel and the right of the Jewish people to statehood is ultimately an act of antisemitic hate. It can be too easy to focus only on the numbers and statistics on issues and matters like these, so we must ensure we recognise that it is a shocking reality. It is the only way we can hope to understand the deeply personal affront it is to the dignity of the Jewish community and, by extension, the dignity to our own country.

Take a moment to consider some elements of our own identity that shape us: our religious views, our cultural heritage, our personal beliefs. The idea of being targeted, silenced or assailed for any of these values and traits is contrary to the Australian spirit. Our identity as a nation is one of acceptance, as a country built on the work of migrants from all over the world. Belonging in Australia is not about where you come from but rather who you are.

One of the contributors to this rising antisemitism is a lack of education. Last year, Deakin University found that 24 per cent of Australians over the age of 18 have little to no knowledge of the Holocaust. Only half could correctly identify the number of Jews murdered during the Holocaust. It is why the work of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is so critical in this endeavour. Through providing educational resources, policy advice and intergovernmental cooperation, it helps to better inform our community. In order to tackle the problem meaningfully, we must first define it. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance has built this definition as a means of specifying what antisemitism continues to be so that we can do more to identify it and prevent it in our own communities and suburbs.

The mission of remembering the Holocaust and doing all we can to counter the very discrimination that led to some of the darkest moments of our humanity remains essential. Each year it becomes more important as the number of survivors of the Holocaust dwindles. When the last survivor passes on, the responsibility falls to all of us to ensure that their story is not forgotten.