Published: 25 March 2026
Last updated: 25 March 2026
I used to admire Grace Tame. When she burst into public life in 2021 as Australian of the Year, I remember being so impressed by her, a fellow Australian woman around my age, fearlessly advocating for the victims of child sex abuse. She was badass and I loved her for it.
Then, when I saw her chant "from Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada" at the protest against President Herzog’s visit, and then heard her describe the sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women on October 7 as "debunked propaganda,” my admiration for her cooled right off.
And still, even though I am deeply disappointed with Grace Tame, I do not think she should be uninvited from the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Last week, Jewish community leaders voiced concerns about Tame’s appearance at the festival in May over the comments I referred to. Dvir Abramovich, head of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said letting her speak at the festival would be “a profound moral failure”. Jeremy Leibler, head of the Zionist Federation of Australia, said “it was a major concern to give a platform to Ms Tame in light of her recent commentary.”
Here is a hard truth: the moment people within the Jewish community start a campaign to get Grace Tame removed from Melbourne Writers Festival, the Jewish community will immediately lose the argument about what she actually said and why it was wrong.
Comments20
Shmuel A31 March at 09:05 am
I agree. Censoring achieves little. There is already significant disgust among non-Jewish Australians about the disregard of some Australian Jews towards the kiling of non- Jews. Take the killing of schoolchildren . Some Australian Jews have dismissed this as fake news.. If these were Jewish children the response from Australian Jewry would be very different. Perhaps this attitude among some Australian Jews needs to be changed. We are all Australians. It is time that both sides of this endless conflict, in Australia realise that the majority of Australians are tired of this partisanship being promoted in this country.
Deborah Friedman30 March at 02:54 am
Bravo to Nomi Kaltmann on this piece. I wholeheartedly agree with the summation. It is a far better narrative for our community to not quash freedom of speech. It is not a moral failure to allow Grace Tame to speak, and indeed it could provide opportunities for valuable conversation.
Doreen Finkelstein30 March at 01:32 am
I absolutely agree. Let’s hope someone gets the chance to ask her in a public forum! You have a well reasoned argument here.
Bianca29 March at 10:57 am
If Grace Tame was an invited speaker to the Melb Writer’s Festival well before her recent public outings then I would definitely agree with you.
However, if she was invited *as a result* of her recent appearances then I think that the Jewish community and all right minded people should loudly object.
Of course, the organizers of Melb Writers Week might already have their own concerns as presumably Ms Tame was invited on the basis of her historical advocacy about CSA and these more recent comments have changed her public perception.
(In a somewhat parallel manner that any invitations to the author Craig Silvey would have to be re-assessed after his criminal charges were made public. Invitations are issued in one context but intervening events change matters.)
The absolute fiasco of Randa Abdel-Fattah and Adelaide Writers Week is a lesson in how NOT to do things!
Fred Morgan29 March at 06:51 am
Basically I agree with Nomi. Censorship almost always gives even more oxygen to the person who is censored. But whether Nomi has an opportunity to ask her searching questions depends on how the session is run. Eg, at the Adelaide festival apparently no space would have been given to anyone to challenge the dominant anti-Zionist narrative. I think this is what many of us find so frustrating.
Joseph Silver29 March at 01:29 am
“This type of conversation can happen at a writer’s festival, but it certainly won’t happen if Grace Tame is not there. Bad ideas look most powerful when they’re protected, and they look weakest when they are examined in a public forum, where there is a chance to host an actual debate.”
This is delusional thinking. Who would want to pay to attend a talkfest between two antisemites Grace Tame and Antoinette Lattouf? If anyone would stand up to counter them they would inevitably face an avalanche of abuse.
Joseph Silver27 March at 12:40 am
“This type of conversation can happen at a writer’s festival, but it certainly won’t happen if Grace Tame is not there. ”
To achieve this means buying a ticket to attend her conversation with another offensive person Antoinette Lattouf.
The event is likely to be stacked with those who admire these two individuals, so anybody attempting to contest their stances on the issues that matter to our community will very likely face public retribution.
Open public debate and discussion among people with opposing views is virtually non-existent any more in this country.
Standing up publicly and speaking as Zionist Jew in fora outside of our own community will just trigger abuse and retorts.
Michael Gawenda26 March at 11:47 am
Terrific article. Sets out the case for non -cancelation clearly and with moral force. Thank you.
RONALD BOBROFF26 March at 10:33 am
I FOUND YOUR ARTICLE PERSUASIVE , BUT WITH THE PROVISO THAT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE J.I WILL ATTEND THE CONFERENCE AND CALL TAME TO ACCOUNT .
FAILING THAT ,SHE WILL HAVE SECURED A PLATFORM TO SPEW HER ANTI SEMITIC VENOM .
Ben Berger26 March at 10:16 am
Yes: “I want her to be asked, in a public forum, how a woman who has demanded that the world believe her and all other victims is now telling the world not to believe Israeli women.”
Corinne26 March at 10:08 am
I think you are right Naomi. If she’s not there, how can we understand her, or ask questions of her? And, it does indeed work against the Jewish community.
Amanda Gordon26 March at 07:48 am
I want, as a psychologist working closely within the Jewish community, want to support Nomi’s contention. Let’s take the opportunity to take down her ideas, not the woman. Let’s show her hypocrisy by attending and speaking up on behalf of Israeli women
Pat26 March at 07:33 am
I absolutely agree. Let her spout her lies and challenge them with facts!
roxanne26 March at 07:28 am
i agree with the problematic outcome of her being ‘cancelled’ but then what is the consequence of her words and how is that weighted up with her continuing to speak to audiences – i can’t wrap my head around it and woudl love your opinion
Gabby Walters26 March at 07:25 am
I can’t help feeling that you are right. I wrote to The PM voicing my disgust at what Grace Tame has said. I received a reply that deflected responsibility to some other awards department. Let’s have that debate in public with Grace.
Kati Haworth26 March at 07:21 am
Very sound and wise words, Naomi. Energy should be placed in stacking the room where Grace Tame is to speak with Jewish people who can politely ask her the question you posed again and again, maybe framed differently, but as a question, not a statement, not a verbal blow. We can and should be clever about this so that Grace Tame can demonstrate her own bias and herself acknowledge the danger she poses to Australian society.
David Milstein26 March at 06:37 am
It might be self-satisfying to take the high moral ground, but I believe it wrong to allow her despicable behaviour to go through to the wicket keeper. When cancel culture is applied to Jews, we must practice what they preach.
Ruth Boltman26 March at 06:27 am
Articulate and powerful argument. I would love to hear you challenge Grace Tame regarding her dismissal of believing Jewish victims of sexual violence.
Kinsela weinbendt25 March at 01:33 am
What if she said “Homosexuality is a sin and AIDS is a punishment from God”?
Or what if she said any of the things Herzog said.
She incited global violence against jews right?
Mark Ian25 March at 01:06 am
On one interview that is official with Hamish McDonald she stated “awful things are being perpetrated by both sides “. But Grace Tame has not been able to acknowledge that Hamas is a Holocaust Denial Terror Group that has advocated the killing of all Jews at the end of Times .