Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the most disappointing things that has happened during my brief time in public life has been the return of antisemitism. I would say that the school curriculum, when it comes to the history of the West and the history of Australia and like-minded states, is often quite scattered. I often wonder, 'How will students connect the various parts of relevant history to their own lives and experiences?' I thought we'd done a pretty good job in teaching the evils of antisemitism as that led up to the Second World War and the great crimes that were covered up by the Nazi regime.

But, over the last year or so, since October 7—in New South Wales in particular, you'd have to say—with the return of antisemitism, which started with the disgusting celebrations at the Sydney Opera House in the days following the October 7 attack and going through to just last week in Woollahra with cars torched and properties and cars vandalised with antisemitic graffiti, the Australian Jewish community has lived in great fear. Talking to our colleagues in the House—Mr Leeser, Mr Burns and others—it is clear the Australian Jewish community is in a state of disbelief that we have come full circle on some of the grotesque activities perpetrated in the lead-up to the great conflict of the last century. I ask myself, 'Why is that?' I think the answer is that Australian governments across the board, state and federal, have been very weak in speaking out against this gross antisemitic behaviour, but also that Australia's recent foreign policy has been so weak on Israel that it has promoted some of this appalling behaviour.