Latest news with #JewishAustralians
Sky News AU
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
US ambassador to Israel steps in after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke banned Jewish-American speaker Hillel Fuld from Australia
The US ambassador to Israel has stepped in after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke barred Israeli-American speaker Hillel Fuld from Australia, sparking an international diplomacy test for the Albanese government. The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has confronted Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revoked the visa of Israeli-American speaker Hillel Fuld from Australia, sparking an international diplomacy test for the Albanese government. In a decision statement, Mr Burke cited 'islamophobia rhetoric' which risked inciting discord against Australia's Muslim population. The appeal to have the decision overturned came hours after the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) called on the Trump administration to intervene in what it called an 'attack' on Jewish Australians. Mr Fuld, who was set to speak at fundraising events in Sydney and Melbourne hosted by Magen David Adom, an Israeli national emergency service, confirmed he had been barred from Australia 'because of my tweets'. The Jewish American entrepreneur has more than 176,000 followers on X where he has posted extensively on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In an email sent directly to the Home Affairs Minister, and obtained by The Australian, Mr Huckabee called Mr Fuld a 'highly respected' US-Israeli who was not a 'threat of any kind' to the nation that barred him. 'Mr Fuld is highly respected member in his community and well known in Israel. While he holds strong views against terrorism and the kind of massacre that occurred on October 7, he would pose no threat to the people of Australia by his actions or words,' Mr Huckabee wrote. 'I fully respect the decision to grant the visa is solely in your hands and you have a sovereign right to make the decision to deny entry to someone you consider a threat to national security (but) I do not feel Mr Fuld poses any threat of any kind. 'I would respectfully request … you would be willing to review his visa application and grant the opportunity to make his brief visit for the sake of the very important charity event for the humanitarian emergency medical service organisation.' — Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) June 8, 2025 In the report on the decision, the Home Affairs Minister said Mr Fuld had used social media to deny 'documented atrocities' and had the potential to use the speaking events to make more 'inflammatory statements'. Mr Burke seemed to stand by his decision and said he did not want to import 'hatred'. In a statement to the outlet, the Home Affairs Minister said Australians 'have a strong view that we don't want hatred from overseas brought here'. 'This power has been used repeatedly over many years by ministers. It is currently being tested in the High Court in the Candace Owens matter. Last term, there was bipartisan support for the use of this power. If that is no longer the case, Mr Hastie should say so,' he said. It came after shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie put out a statement on Sunday morning calling for Mr Burke to explain the cancellation of Mr Fuld's visa. "If there is a new political precedent in the standard for issuing entry visas to Australia, the Australian people should be informed as soon as possible," Mr Hastie said. Mr Fuld wrote on X on Monday morning and said there was a 'very low chance' the Albanese government would reverse the decision. 'Despite my appeal and diplomatic efforts at the highest possible levels, I have not heard anything back from the Australian government about them banning me from their country for three years,' Mr Fuld wrote. In a separate post, Mr Fuld said with the coverage continuing to ramp up, it was less likely Mr Burke and the Australian government would reconsider the decision. 'They don't want to seem like they're giving in to the pressure,' Mr Fuld wrote. On Sunday, Mr Fuld joked about whether he should add 'persona non grata' to his list of labels. On Monday, he added "Banned from Australia" to his X bio.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Defecting Greens-Labor senator Dorinda Cox questioned by Jewish community over past use of anti-Israel chants
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's decision to accept senator Dorinda Cox into the Labor Party has raised eyebrows after her past use of anti-Israel slogans resurfaced. Ms Cox was said to have left the Greens because of extremism in the minor party but she admitted to Sky News in 2024 that she chanted what many consider to be an antisemitic slogan, 'from the river to the sea', at a pro-Palestine event. The phrase has been condemned by Mr Albanese himself, and it has long been associated with the call for the destruction of Israel. 'I do support and have participated in the chant 'from the river to the sea',' Ms Cox told Sky News at the time. 'This is something that I think supporters of Palestine are very clear about. It's grounded in peace and freedom.' She also claimed ignorance of the slogan's origins, saying, 'I'm not an expert on Middle Eastern history' and insisted critics were 'splitting hairs over language'. Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin told Sky News that Ms Cox's 'river to the sea' rhetoric cannot be dismissed as benign. 'We are concerned by her participation in anti-Israel rallies that frequently vilify Jewish Australians and her use of the slogan calling for Palestine 'from the river to the sea,'' he said. He further noted that the chant 'Free, Free Palestine', which he claimed Ms Cox has also used, was shouted by a terrorist who murdered a young couple at a Jewish museum in the US. 'There is clearly a chasm between the Senator's intentions and the movement to which she has lent her uncritical support,' Mr Ryvchin said. 'Now that she is a member of the government, we would expect her words and acts to be consistent with those of the government and not with the institutionally antisemitic party she left.' Mr Ryvchin said the Jewish community would be willing to meet with Ms Cox to explain 'the threat to life posed by the 'Free Palestine' movement'. Since defecting to the Labor Party, Ms Cox has faced questions about whether she has betrayed her values and her party. Sources inside the Labor Party said they believed that Ms Cox quit the Greens over perceived extremism, particularly from Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Tensions appeared to escalate after Ms Cox lost a Greens party-room vote for deputy leader to Senator Faruqi, by nine votes to three. Mr Albanese has since welcomed Ms Cox into the Labor caucus, stressing that she understands the expectations of party discipline. 'Dorinda Cox understands that being a member of the Labor Party means that she will support positions that are made by the Labor Party,' he said on Tuesday. The decision has not been received with such celebration among her former colleagues, who were blindsided by her defection. 'The Greens are disappointed in Senator Cox's decision to leave the Greens and join the Labor Party as a backbencher,' Greens leader Larissa Waters said. 'She only informed us of her decision an hour before it was announced.' One Greens source framed her defection as politically motivated and out of step with her previously stated values. 'How does this look?' one Greens source said on Tuesday. 'An Indigenous Green Senator moving over to Labor on the very week that they approved the North West Shelf project which pushes up emissions and is said to threaten Indigenous rock art.' Ms Cox, a Yamatji Noongar woman, had previously opposed the government's decision to approve the North West Shelf gas expansion. Since joining Labor, however, she has refused to comment on the project's merits, instead citing procedural grounds. 'It wouldn't be for me to make public commentary, particularly during the provisional approval stage,' Ms Cox said at a press conference on Monday. 'My understanding is that Woodside do need to come back to Minister Watt.' The controversial senator has also faced internal scrutiny, including allegations of bullying from former Greens staff members. It has been reported that as many as 20 staff left the office of Ms Cox in three years, with some lodging bullying complaints. Ms Cox was first appointed to the Senate in 2021 to fill a Greens casual vacancy and was re-elected in 2022. She was previously a member of the Labor Party before joining the Greens under the mentorship of former Senator Rachel Siewert. Her switch hands Labor a 29-member bloc in the Senate and reduces the Greens' numbers to 10.
Sky News AU
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Jewish leader fears more antisemitic attacks on Australian soil following fatal shooting in Washington DC
A prominent Jewish leader has spoken out on the latest global antisemitic attack, warning things will only continue to get worse as he expressed fears of future hate crimes on Australian shores. On Wednesday in the United States, what police believe was a lone gunman, opened fire and killed two people outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC. The attack, which is being investigated by the FBI as to whether it had any ties to "potential terrorism" or was motivated by a hate crime, occurred shortly after 9pm. When the shooter was in handcuffs after being taken into custody, he said "free, free Palestine". US President Donald Trump labelled the crime "horrible" and said there was no place in the country for "hatred and radicalism". Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said while every antisemitic attack remained "deeply shocking", they were so frequent that they had become "utterly predictable". "The person who did this was the product of a movement. And that's the Free Palestine Movement," he told Caleb Bond on Sky News' Sharri on Thursday. "And that movement has for years, but particularly the last 18 months, been relentlessly inciting against the Jewish community, putting targets on the backs of community leaders and people who frequent communal institutions like the museum there in DC. And this is the inevitable consequence of that." Mr Ryvchin said he believes the lack of consequences for antisemitic attacks means it will only "get worse". "When there are no consequences exacted, when people feel they can get away with this stuff, they go further and further and farther," he said. "The only thing that extremists understand is strict consequences. And until that's levied, until we see that, until we see a cost for being an anti-semite, this is going to get worse and worse." He also expressed concern horrifying attacks like the Washington incident could take place in Australia. "We've been warning about what is to come. The writing was on the wall for a long time. And there's no reason why something like this can't happen in this country because we have the same ideology, the same extremism, the same people who wish to do the Jewish community harm here. "And it's going to take a hell of a lot of resolve from our security agencies and the police and the community and wider society to stamp this out and to protect Jewish Australians." On Wednesday local time, police received multiple calls shortly after 9pm about a shooting in the area of Third Street NW and F Street NW in Washington DC. Upon arrival, officers found an adult male and female unconscious and not breathing at the scene. The pair ultimately succumbed to their injuries and rescue crews were unable to revive them. Police said during a press conference they believe the crime was committed by a single suspect, 30-year-old Chicago man Elias Rodriguez, and he is now in custody. Police chief Pamela A Smith said the suspect "implied" he committed the crime.
Sky News AU
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Washington murders highlight the need to ‘protect Jewish Australians'
Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin says there is no reason a similar event like the murder of two Israelis in Washington cannot happen in Australia. 'We've been warning about what is to come, the writing was on the wall for a long time, and there is no reason … why something like this can't happen in this country,' Mr Ryvchin told Sky News host Caleb Bond. 'It's going to take a hell of a lot of resolve from our security agencies and the police … and wider society to stamp this out and protect Jewish Australians.'
The Advertiser
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Anti-Semitism panel told inquiry risks isolating Jews
Jewish Australians have warned a "troubling" inquiry risks exacerbating anti-Semitism by focusing on just one form of racism. After a rise in anti-Semitic incidents on university campuses and in broader society, a NSW parliamentary inquiry examining the issue began on Monday with evidence from Jewish groups across the political spectrum. But some advocates said the inquiry itself and potential subsequent action could stoke the fires of anti-Semitism by treating one form of racism separately from others. "It can fuel anti-Semitism by having a focus on racial hatred towards one group to the exclusion of others," Jewish Women 4 Peace Action Ready Group founder Stephanie Cunio told the inquiry. "It's not helpful for us as Jews, and it really needs to be looked at broadly. "And it also isolates us, we've had a lot of problems with social cohesion between Jews and Muslims and Palestinians in Australia, and isolating it doesn't help." Ms Cunio said spending time at an encampment at Sydney University that was protesting in response to Israel's bombing and ground assault on Gaza was "uncomfortable" as a Jewish woman. But it helped her understand where those people were coming from, she said. She stressed being "uncomfortable" about the actions of the Israeli government was distinct from experiencing anti-Semitism or racism. That contrasted with the Australasian Union of Jewish Students' view of universities as "flashpoints for anti-Semitic activity." The union pointed to the proportion of Jewish-Australians who identify as Zionist, a political movement that originated for the founding of the state of Israel. "Given that the majority of Jewish Australians identify as Zionist, it is not credible to claim that threats or acts of hostility directed at 'Zionists' cannot also be acts of anti-Semitism," it said. The peak body for Jewish people in NSW dubbed the debate about anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as a "red herring". "The overwhelming majority of incidents which are reported to us have nothing to do with Israel or Zionism, just classic, textbook anti-Semitism," NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said. "Where the line (of political debate) is crossed is where hatred of Israel spills over into suspicion of Jews more broadly, or a view that Jews are pernicious, dangerous or particularly egregious in their actions." Rising anti-Semitism on social media had led the Sydney Jewish Museum to expand its focus beyond late-high-school students and those studying history, chief executive Kevin Sumption said. "There's increasing educational research strongly suggesting that leaving it to have a discussion about these issues until you're 15, 16, 17, years old is too late," he said. Australia's 39 universities unanimously endorsed a new definition of anti-Semitism in February. The definition includes harassment that impedes Jews' ability to participate as equals in educational and social life. But it has been contested by human rights groups as curbing political speech. Coalition of Women for Justice and Peace founding member Janice Caulfield said the scope and framing of the NSW inquiry was "troubling". "It is built on a contested definition of anti-Semitism that risks conflating legitimate political expression with racial hatred," she told the inquiry. Laws to crackdown on hate speech were rushed through state parliament in February. That followed a series of anti-Semitism incidents across Sydney and the discovery of a caravan filled with explosives, later identified as a "false flag" to help a criminal negotiate a lighter sentence. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has risen markedly in Australia since October 7, 2023, when militant group Hamas killed more than 1200 Israelis and captured 250 hostages in southern Israel. More than 52,000 Palestinians, including about 18,000 children, have been killed so far as Israel bombarded the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations. Jewish Australians have warned a "troubling" inquiry risks exacerbating anti-Semitism by focusing on just one form of racism. After a rise in anti-Semitic incidents on university campuses and in broader society, a NSW parliamentary inquiry examining the issue began on Monday with evidence from Jewish groups across the political spectrum. But some advocates said the inquiry itself and potential subsequent action could stoke the fires of anti-Semitism by treating one form of racism separately from others. "It can fuel anti-Semitism by having a focus on racial hatred towards one group to the exclusion of others," Jewish Women 4 Peace Action Ready Group founder Stephanie Cunio told the inquiry. "It's not helpful for us as Jews, and it really needs to be looked at broadly. "And it also isolates us, we've had a lot of problems with social cohesion between Jews and Muslims and Palestinians in Australia, and isolating it doesn't help." Ms Cunio said spending time at an encampment at Sydney University that was protesting in response to Israel's bombing and ground assault on Gaza was "uncomfortable" as a Jewish woman. But it helped her understand where those people were coming from, she said. She stressed being "uncomfortable" about the actions of the Israeli government was distinct from experiencing anti-Semitism or racism. That contrasted with the Australasian Union of Jewish Students' view of universities as "flashpoints for anti-Semitic activity." The union pointed to the proportion of Jewish-Australians who identify as Zionist, a political movement that originated for the founding of the state of Israel. "Given that the majority of Jewish Australians identify as Zionist, it is not credible to claim that threats or acts of hostility directed at 'Zionists' cannot also be acts of anti-Semitism," it said. The peak body for Jewish people in NSW dubbed the debate about anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as a "red herring". "The overwhelming majority of incidents which are reported to us have nothing to do with Israel or Zionism, just classic, textbook anti-Semitism," NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said. "Where the line (of political debate) is crossed is where hatred of Israel spills over into suspicion of Jews more broadly, or a view that Jews are pernicious, dangerous or particularly egregious in their actions." Rising anti-Semitism on social media had led the Sydney Jewish Museum to expand its focus beyond late-high-school students and those studying history, chief executive Kevin Sumption said. "There's increasing educational research strongly suggesting that leaving it to have a discussion about these issues until you're 15, 16, 17, years old is too late," he said. Australia's 39 universities unanimously endorsed a new definition of anti-Semitism in February. The definition includes harassment that impedes Jews' ability to participate as equals in educational and social life. But it has been contested by human rights groups as curbing political speech. Coalition of Women for Justice and Peace founding member Janice Caulfield said the scope and framing of the NSW inquiry was "troubling". "It is built on a contested definition of anti-Semitism that risks conflating legitimate political expression with racial hatred," she told the inquiry. Laws to crackdown on hate speech were rushed through state parliament in February. That followed a series of anti-Semitism incidents across Sydney and the discovery of a caravan filled with explosives, later identified as a "false flag" to help a criminal negotiate a lighter sentence. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has risen markedly in Australia since October 7, 2023, when militant group Hamas killed more than 1200 Israelis and captured 250 hostages in southern Israel. More than 52,000 Palestinians, including about 18,000 children, have been killed so far as Israel bombarded the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations. Jewish Australians have warned a "troubling" inquiry risks exacerbating anti-Semitism by focusing on just one form of racism. After a rise in anti-Semitic incidents on university campuses and in broader society, a NSW parliamentary inquiry examining the issue began on Monday with evidence from Jewish groups across the political spectrum. But some advocates said the inquiry itself and potential subsequent action could stoke the fires of anti-Semitism by treating one form of racism separately from others. "It can fuel anti-Semitism by having a focus on racial hatred towards one group to the exclusion of others," Jewish Women 4 Peace Action Ready Group founder Stephanie Cunio told the inquiry. "It's not helpful for us as Jews, and it really needs to be looked at broadly. "And it also isolates us, we've had a lot of problems with social cohesion between Jews and Muslims and Palestinians in Australia, and isolating it doesn't help." Ms Cunio said spending time at an encampment at Sydney University that was protesting in response to Israel's bombing and ground assault on Gaza was "uncomfortable" as a Jewish woman. But it helped her understand where those people were coming from, she said. She stressed being "uncomfortable" about the actions of the Israeli government was distinct from experiencing anti-Semitism or racism. That contrasted with the Australasian Union of Jewish Students' view of universities as "flashpoints for anti-Semitic activity." The union pointed to the proportion of Jewish-Australians who identify as Zionist, a political movement that originated for the founding of the state of Israel. "Given that the majority of Jewish Australians identify as Zionist, it is not credible to claim that threats or acts of hostility directed at 'Zionists' cannot also be acts of anti-Semitism," it said. The peak body for Jewish people in NSW dubbed the debate about anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as a "red herring". "The overwhelming majority of incidents which are reported to us have nothing to do with Israel or Zionism, just classic, textbook anti-Semitism," NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said. "Where the line (of political debate) is crossed is where hatred of Israel spills over into suspicion of Jews more broadly, or a view that Jews are pernicious, dangerous or particularly egregious in their actions." Rising anti-Semitism on social media had led the Sydney Jewish Museum to expand its focus beyond late-high-school students and those studying history, chief executive Kevin Sumption said. "There's increasing educational research strongly suggesting that leaving it to have a discussion about these issues until you're 15, 16, 17, years old is too late," he said. Australia's 39 universities unanimously endorsed a new definition of anti-Semitism in February. The definition includes harassment that impedes Jews' ability to participate as equals in educational and social life. But it has been contested by human rights groups as curbing political speech. Coalition of Women for Justice and Peace founding member Janice Caulfield said the scope and framing of the NSW inquiry was "troubling". "It is built on a contested definition of anti-Semitism that risks conflating legitimate political expression with racial hatred," she told the inquiry. Laws to crackdown on hate speech were rushed through state parliament in February. That followed a series of anti-Semitism incidents across Sydney and the discovery of a caravan filled with explosives, later identified as a "false flag" to help a criminal negotiate a lighter sentence. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has risen markedly in Australia since October 7, 2023, when militant group Hamas killed more than 1200 Israelis and captured 250 hostages in southern Israel. More than 52,000 Palestinians, including about 18,000 children, have been killed so far as Israel bombarded the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations. Jewish Australians have warned a "troubling" inquiry risks exacerbating anti-Semitism by focusing on just one form of racism. After a rise in anti-Semitic incidents on university campuses and in broader society, a NSW parliamentary inquiry examining the issue began on Monday with evidence from Jewish groups across the political spectrum. But some advocates said the inquiry itself and potential subsequent action could stoke the fires of anti-Semitism by treating one form of racism separately from others. "It can fuel anti-Semitism by having a focus on racial hatred towards one group to the exclusion of others," Jewish Women 4 Peace Action Ready Group founder Stephanie Cunio told the inquiry. "It's not helpful for us as Jews, and it really needs to be looked at broadly. "And it also isolates us, we've had a lot of problems with social cohesion between Jews and Muslims and Palestinians in Australia, and isolating it doesn't help." Ms Cunio said spending time at an encampment at Sydney University that was protesting in response to Israel's bombing and ground assault on Gaza was "uncomfortable" as a Jewish woman. But it helped her understand where those people were coming from, she said. She stressed being "uncomfortable" about the actions of the Israeli government was distinct from experiencing anti-Semitism or racism. That contrasted with the Australasian Union of Jewish Students' view of universities as "flashpoints for anti-Semitic activity." The union pointed to the proportion of Jewish-Australians who identify as Zionist, a political movement that originated for the founding of the state of Israel. "Given that the majority of Jewish Australians identify as Zionist, it is not credible to claim that threats or acts of hostility directed at 'Zionists' cannot also be acts of anti-Semitism," it said. The peak body for Jewish people in NSW dubbed the debate about anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism as a "red herring". "The overwhelming majority of incidents which are reported to us have nothing to do with Israel or Zionism, just classic, textbook anti-Semitism," NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said. "Where the line (of political debate) is crossed is where hatred of Israel spills over into suspicion of Jews more broadly, or a view that Jews are pernicious, dangerous or particularly egregious in their actions." Rising anti-Semitism on social media had led the Sydney Jewish Museum to expand its focus beyond late-high-school students and those studying history, chief executive Kevin Sumption said. "There's increasing educational research strongly suggesting that leaving it to have a discussion about these issues until you're 15, 16, 17, years old is too late," he said. Australia's 39 universities unanimously endorsed a new definition of anti-Semitism in February. The definition includes harassment that impedes Jews' ability to participate as equals in educational and social life. But it has been contested by human rights groups as curbing political speech. Coalition of Women for Justice and Peace founding member Janice Caulfield said the scope and framing of the NSW inquiry was "troubling". "It is built on a contested definition of anti-Semitism that risks conflating legitimate political expression with racial hatred," she told the inquiry. Laws to crackdown on hate speech were rushed through state parliament in February. That followed a series of anti-Semitism incidents across Sydney and the discovery of a caravan filled with explosives, later identified as a "false flag" to help a criminal negotiate a lighter sentence. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has risen markedly in Australia since October 7, 2023, when militant group Hamas killed more than 1200 Israelis and captured 250 hostages in southern Israel. More than 52,000 Palestinians, including about 18,000 children, have been killed so far as Israel bombarded the blockaded Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations.
