The Australian government’s response to Gaza, and its handling of President Isaac Herzog’s visit, has blurred the line between antisemitism and criticism of Israel. The result is deeper division, weaker democracy and greater risk to Jewish communities.

John Menadue

Following the state sanctioned violence in Sydney, Anthony Albanese told us that we need to lower the temperature. But it is Anthony Albanese who has raised the temperature with his scant concern for the murder of over 70,000 Palestinians, mainly women and children. He refuses to let the word genocide pass his lips.

Correspondence and analysis in The Lancet magazine suggests that in fact the number murdered at the hands of Israel and the IDF maybe as high as 240,000.

To add to his failure, Albanese then invites President Herzog to Australia. Herzog has, through both omission and commission abetted the Israeli genocide. He has told the world a litany of lies about the IDF protecting civilians and that Israel is obeying international law. He heads an apartheid, genocidal and criminal state that is deliberately killing women and children and breaches numerous international laws and decisions of the UN.

It is just not true – as Israel wants us to believe – that the Hamas attack in October 2023 started the war. Israel has been killing Palestinians and stealing their land for decades. In 1948 Palestinians owned 94 per cent of all land. Then came the Nakba and further occupation and ethnic cleansing. Now Palestinians own only 18 per cent of the land with annexation continuing in the West Bank. Even at the very time Herzog was getting red carpet treatment in Australia, the Israeli Finance Minister said that the moves on the West Bank “will continue to kill the idea of a Palestinian State.”

Anthony Albanese is rightly concerned for Jewish families after the horrible Bondi killings but surely an Australian rabbi would be more appropriate to console Jewish families in Australia? Why does the lobby always invoke Israel? Time and time again it blurs the distinction between Jews and the State of Israel. But it only blurs the distinction when it suits. It avoids invoking the link to Israel when it comes to genocide.

The lobby has been exercising destructive power for decades. Its role as an agent of foreign influence for Israel should be publicly examined.

Herzog has gone well beyond consolation for Jewish families which Albanese tells us is the reason for the visit. Much of Herzog’s public comments have been very political. He - said that he wanted to strengthen Australia’s relations with Israel. - accused pro-Palestinian protesters in Australia of undermining Israel. - expressed frustration that more was not being done to tackle antisemitism in Australia. - told Jews to “wear Zionism with pride”. - even pulled the rug from under our Prime Minister in saying that a two-state solution is not on the agenda.

In fact, the Israeli government along with Herzog is opposed to a two-state solution in any shape or form. That is why Netanyahu funded Hamas for years to weaken the influence of President Abas. Netanyahu did everything possible to destroy any popular Palestinian leadership. That is why the ‘Palestinian Mandela’, Marwan Barghouti has been brutalised in an Israel prison for 22 years. Over 6,000 Palestinian hostages are still in Israeli jails.

Herzog could not have been more political on this visit to Australia. Anthony Albanese sheepishly raised a few issues with Herzog but avoided any discussion of the genocide.

And then we had the shameful performance of the NSW Premier Minns who has for over two years supported the Zionist position and been highly critical of those who are concerned about the ceaseless killing of Palestinians. With his legislation on hate speech and support of the Zionist lobby it is not surprising that the NSW police went on a rampage. Many would be justified in thinking that Minns had their back.

The NSW Police Commissioner could tender his resignation, knowing it would be quite safe to do so. He would know that the Premier would not accept it. Instead, the Premier might present him with a medal! No surprise that Minns said there would be no independent inquiry!

Fortunately the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission has just announced that the actions of the NSW police will be examined. The LECC’s website says: “The Commission is separate from and completely independent of the NSW Police Force and NSW Crime Commission. Its principal functions are to detect, investigate and expose serious misconduct and serious maladministration within the NSW Police Force and the NSW Crime Commission.”

What a contrast Sydney was on Monday when all other protests around Australia were well managed by cooperation between protesters and the police. That he was not so in Sydney. Professor Ben Saul of Sydney University and UN Special Rapporteur of Human Rights and Counter Terrorism pointed out that “domestic rights have been suppressed by illegal laws and aggressive policing and NSW is now one of the most draconian anti protest jurisdictions in the democratic world”

Take a bow Premier Minns. The lobby must be well pleased.

For over two years we have had hundreds of peaceful protests across Australia against the genocide. There have been very few antisemitic incidents.

Undoubtedly some of the antisemitic behaviour in Australia is homegrown. Most of it, however, is the result of the barbaric cruelty inflicted by Israel on the Palestinian people. It is time Herzog, Albanese and others sheeted home responsibility to Israel for the spike in antisemitism which is occurring around the world. It will continue until there is peace with justice for Palestinians.

As Robert Manne put it so clearly about Israeli denial, “don’t mention the war.”

When will the Zionist lobbyists do some honest soul searching? Has it ever crossed their minds that Jews are less safe because of Gaza and their misuse and abuse of the term antisemitic?

Free speech and the right to organise and protest is also being challenged across the western world, as Professor Ben Saul has pointed out. A new McCarthyism is afoot. Now it is not communists under the bed – it is people who oppose genocide. In many Western countries universities and others are being threatened and defunded because of their support for Palestinians. We saw this McCarthyism at work recently directed against Grace Tame for her challenging speech at the Sydney rally.

Seventy thousand or even two hundred thousand murdered Palestinians is of little concern to our government. When Anthony Albanese and Chris Minns are prepared to mouth the word “genocide” the divisions they have created will begin to heal.

The Herzog visit exposed again the duplicity of Israel and the failure of our government to stand against genocide.

Criticism of Israeli genocide is not antisemitic.

https://johnmenadue.com/post/2026/02/genocide-is-the-story-not-anti-semitism/

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