Latest news with #SarahSchwartz
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
QUT race debate not antisemitic, despite damaging fallout: review
A review into a satirical race debate at the Queensland University of Technology that sparked media outrage has cast a shadow over the future of one of the university's specialist research institutes. The review was commissioned in February to look into the anti-racism event organised by the Carumba Institute, which focuses on First Nations research and education at QUT's two Brisbane campuses. Under its six recommendations, released on Wednesday, the university's governing council was urged to 'consider and define the role and function and the leadership' of the institute, and more closely supervise its public events. The institute's January symposium on anti-racist research made headlines after one audience member leaked recordings and presentation slides from the satirical 'Greatest Race Debate'. While on stage, writer and artist Lorna Munro, a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, showed slides calling on the audience to 'throat punch a racist'. Loading Jewish Council of Australia chair Sarah Schwartz presented a checklist of characteristics that she said were being used to weaponise Jewish identity by political leaders, in a slide headlined 'Dutton's Jew'. The review found these slides and the speakers' remarks were not antisemitic or offensive 'to those actually present', and should be considered within the full context of the event. It found Munro's presentation, 'while provocative in tone, was clearly satirical in nature', while Schwartz's was intended as a criticism of certain political leaders, and not Jewish people themselves.
The Age
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
QUT race debate not antisemitic, despite damaging fallout: review
A review into a satirical race debate at the Queensland University of Technology that sparked media outrage has cast a shadow over the future of one of the university's specialist research institutes. The review was commissioned in February to look into the anti-racism event organised by the Carumba Institute, which focuses on First Nations research and education at QUT's two Brisbane campuses. Under its six recommendations, released on Wednesday, the university's governing council was urged to 'consider and define the role and function and the leadership' of the institute, and more closely supervise its public events. The institute's January symposium on anti-racist research made headlines after one audience member leaked recordings and presentation slides from the satirical 'Greatest Race Debate'. While on stage, writer and artist Lorna Munro, a Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, showed slides calling on the audience to 'throat punch a racist'. Loading Jewish Council of Australia chair Sarah Schwartz presented a checklist of characteristics that she said were being used to weaponise Jewish identity by political leaders, in a slide headlined 'Dutton's Jew'. The review found these slides and the speakers' remarks were not antisemitic or offensive 'to those actually present', and should be considered within the full context of the event. It found Munro's presentation, 'while provocative in tone, was clearly satirical in nature', while Schwartz's was intended as a criticism of certain political leaders, and not Jewish people themselves.
News.com.au
17-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
NSW government to probe anti-Semitism response amid concerns about anti-hate laws
A peak Jewish body has claimed controversial anti-protest laws introduced by the NSW government in a bid to crack down on alleged anti-Semitic incidents have not made many in the community feel safer on the eve of the first public hearing into the issue. Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers MP Robert Borsak will chair the first hearing in state parliament on Monday of the NSW Legislative Council's inquiry into anti-Semitism in NSW, alongside Greens MLC Amanda Cohn and MLCs from Labor and the Liberals. The inquiry seeks to examine the underlying causes behind the 'increasing prevalence and severity' of anti-Semitism in NSW as well as the 'threat to social cohesion' it presents and how the safety of the state's Jewish community 'might be enhanced'. It comes after a string of high-profile anti-Semitic incidents across Greater Sydney over the summer, some of which police now allege were part of a criminal conspiracy, prompting the Labor government to introduce harsh new anti-hate laws. The laws, which criminalise a range of activities outside places of worship, were criticised by Jewish Council of Australia executive officer Sarah Schwartz, who said the 'law and order measures' failed to address the root causes of anti-Semitism in Australia. 'The government needs to get serious about addressing the root causes of hatred,' Ms Schwartz said. 'The measures they are proposing are really after-the-fact measures – law and order measures. There is no evidence that they actually reduce racism.' She said there was a 'serious issue of racism and anti-Semitism', including a rise in right-wing extremism and 'anti-Semitic stunts' and urged state and federal governments to invest in long-term prevention and education to disrupt far-right recruitment. The Jewish Council of Australia was founded in February 2024 and is co-led by Ms Schwartz, a human rights lawyer, and historian Max Kaiser. It was one of more than 70 organisations, individuals and government bodies to submit to the inquiry. In its submission, the council urged the government to adopt a 'unified commitment to opposing all forms of racism' that did not create 'hierarchies of racism' and to target systemic causes, including of Islamophobia and an anti-Palestinian racism. 'What we've seen is the often very deliberate conflation of anti-Semitism, which is hatred of Jewish people, with criticism of the state of Israel … the government shouldn't be suppressing free speech which should be allowed to criticise nation states,' she said. Ms Schwartz said conflating Judaism and the state of Israel 'makes us (Jewish people) less safe in our identities' and warned that the tying of the state government's anti-hate laws with anti-Semitism specifically also put the community at further risk. 'There's been this sort of false connection between anti-Semitic incidents and protests, which hasn't been borne out. That, on its own, is quite dangerous,' she said. 'If the government continues to single out anti-Semitism and just make laws they say for the benefit of the Jewish community, the message that it sends to every other racialised group is that anti-Semitism is a more serious form of racism.' Dural caravan conspiracy A separate inquiry was launched in April into the 'relationship between the Dural caravan incident and parliamentary debates on legislation', namely the so-called anti-protest laws, with an initial hearing held that same month. A Bill was introduced on February 11 and passed on February 20, less than a month after news of the van, a fabricated terrorist plot targeting the Jewish community, first broke and gives new powers to police in regard to protests at or near places of worship and increases criminal penalties. The government did not point to the caravan as the reason for the Bill and instead cited a series of anti-Semitic arson and graffiti attacks in Sydney. Some of those incidents were later connected to the Dural criminal conspiracy. NSW Council of Civil Liberties president Tim Roberts cautioned the government that it couldn't 'legislate our way to social cohesion' and there was a risk that 'in trying to limit speech and out ability to protest, that we cut off our nose despite our face'. 'In trying to respond to difficult circumstances in a kneejerk way, without hearing from the community before those laws are made, they're going to make mistakes. They've made mistakes, and our community suffers as a whole,' he said. He went on to add: 'The more we push speech into the back corners of some Reddit forum, somewhere where anti-Semitism and hate festers because we're using police powers to try and limit and enforce it, the more as a community we can't identify, solve and respond to and reject a problem, and these laws don't help us do that.' Mr Roberts said the NSWCLL recommended that the government changed the laws. 'While I think everyone in the room that's behaving sensibly here sees that there's some problems with what's happened, there's not a lot of motivation to change those laws,' he said. While the inquiry will focus on the state's response, local councils have also responded to the reported rise in anti-Semitism. Sydney's Waverley City Council is home to the state's largest Jewish population and has been rocked by high-profile anti-Semitic and anti-Israel attacks and incidents. In its submission to the inquiry, the council reported several incidents, including a synagogue being defaced with Nazi symbols and Jewish schoolchildren being targeted. 'The level of anti-Semitism experienced in the local community has been abhorrent, deliberate and has caused real harm,' Mayor Will Namesh said. 'Waverley Council has taken a comprehensive approach by working with local law enforcement for community safety, developing and implementing a first-of-its-kind local government strategy to combat anti-Semitism. 'By launching this strategy, Waverley Council is taking a proactive stance in ensuring that anti-Semitism is confronted and that all residents can thrive in an environment of mutual respect and social cohesion.' Mr Namesh said the council had been advocating to state and federal governments for 'direct action to support and protect the Jewish community'. 'As the level of government closest to the people, local councils have a critical role in fostering inclusive, safe, and connected communities,' he said. 'As mayor, in addition to supporting the anti-Semitism inquiry, I also call on the state government to support funding for local government initiatives.' Jewish community voices concern More than 70 submissions were made to the inquiry ahead of the first hearing on Monday, including from individuals, Jewish representative groups, and civil rights organisations. The inquiry will also seek to examine incidents on school and university campuses in NSW following an earlier inquiry into the Anti-Semitism at Australian Universities Bill 2024. The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) referred in its submission to a December 2024 interim report into reports of racism at Australian universities, including acts of anti-Semitism. The report found 'both interpersonal and structural racism' was 'pervasive and deeply entrenched' at the country's universities, including towards Muslim and Palestinian students. Students reported to AHRC being made to feel 'unsafe and unwelcome' because of racism, while staff said they felt 'othered' and less confident expressing their identity or opinions. More than 20 individuals, many of Jewish heritage, provided submissions to the inquiry. Many, like Sam Altman, highlighted a need to combat anti-Semitism but said that it must 'be part of a broader anti-racism movement rooted in solidarity' with 'all marginalised groups'. The child of Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivors said: 'Efforts to address anti-Semitism through criminalisation or by exceptionalising it above other forms of racism are counter-productive.' Others, like Rose Saltman, feared 'any criticism of Israel be conflated with anti-Semitism' and blamed 'public figures' for exacerbating both anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 'At this time of unconscionable brutality by Israel in Palestine, should the NSW government be swayed by a partisan political campaign exploiting some real concerns to redefine anti-Semitism to stifle political speech and action?' Martin Munz said in his submission. Other individuals who made submissions to the parliamentary inquiry included former Middle East correspondent David Leser and Vaucluse MP Kellie Sloane.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Street to Housing pilot program reaches first milestone
( — The City of Sacramento's Streets to Housing pilot program has successfully moved its first group of people experiencing homelessness into apartments, according to officials. Video Above: How much does California spend to combat homelessness? The pilot program was backed by $5.85 million from the state's Encampment Resolution Funds. The city said the 'housing-first' approach connects 100 unsheltered households living in encampments with stable, permanent housing. 'We're encouraged by the early success of this pilot and proud to see people moving into stable housing so quickly,' said Sarah Schwartz, neighborhood resource coordinator with the City's Department of Community Response. The benefits participants receive include up to a year of rental assistance, intensive case management and stabilization services. According to officials, the goal is to help people maintain their apartments or move to other positive housing areas by the program's end. Navarro: 'I guarantee no recession, okay?' On February 10, five households with eight people in North Sacramento were moved from encampments to apartments, marking the starting point for the pilot program. The city's Street to Housing pilot program involves several key steps: Outreach and engagement: Build relationships with encampment residents and on-site assessments to understand the housing needs of encampment residents. Individualized support plans: Develop tailored plans addressing each individual's housing and service needs. Housing placement: Assist people in securing permanent housing, providing approximately 12 months of rental assistance. Supportive services: Offer case management and stabilization services to promote long-term housing stability. The city said with the success of the first encampment group, they aim to continue with their efforts until 100 households have been moved into permanent housing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
