Facing the fallout from an ugly election

For candidates running in “Jewish seats” at this year federal election, the campaign felt like being on the receiving end of a blowtorch. The temperature was destined to be high after the Hamas massacre of October 7, Israel’s retaliation and ongoing offensive in Gaza and the spate of attacks against Jewish property and institutions.

Even so, the personal targeting of candidates was a recurring theme. “Particularly nasty in respect to matters concerning the Jewish community and antisemitism,” was how Daniel Aghion, President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), described the campaign on ABC radio.

“The most negative campaign I have ever seen,” Allegra Spender told her adoring supporters when she stepped up to acknowledge victory on election night at Bondi Bowling Club in Sydney’s east.

“There was ugliness in small parts of the campaign,” the Labor members for Macnamara, Josh Burns told The Jewish Independent, “but for the most part, I think civility and respect for one another was the biggest takeout.”

While both Jews and non-Jews were on the receiving end, the majority of smears and intimidation were focussed on Teal and Labor candidates who were running against Liberal candidates in Wentworth, Macnamara and Goldstein - seats with large numbers of Jewish voters. Several of the groups responsible have pro-Jewish sympathies.