Published: 28 October 2025
Last updated: 29 October 2025
While Australia has been shaken by a stream of violent attacks against Jewish and Israeli property over the past two years, only a small minority of people hold antisemitic attitudes and their number has not increased with the war in Gaza, a major new survey has found.
The Crossroads25 survey of Australian attitudes to Jews, Israel and antisemitism also found that the general population clearly distinguishes between Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and the state of Israel. While many Australians condemn the way Israel treats Palestininans, 60% or more support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself.
But both sympathy with Palestinians and hostility to Israel is much higher among younger Australians, with more than half of 18-24 year olds believing "Israel treats the Palestinians the way the Nazis treated the Jews", a statement Australia's official definition of antisemitism, the IHRA definition, defines as antisemitic.
The survey comes in the context of widespread community concern about antisemitism. Attacks including arson, assaults, vandalism and intimidation tripled in the year after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 and online antisemitism increased five-fold. Reflecting the high levels of hostility among young people, two thirds of Jewish staff and students say they feel unsafe on campus.
Comments4
Rachel Sussman30 October at 04:25 am
Thank you for the results of the survey.
A research is always interesting although much depends on the study group chosen.
One can feel ‘reassured’ with some of the results but I will say this: my life has personally changed since 7/10. It has been shocking to me that people I considered friends became abusive and de-friended me; that I was ‘forced out’ from organisations and groups I have been involved with for many years and people I still consider as essentially good people,; it has been shocking to me to see my daughters distressed; it has been shocking for me to hear my grandkids say they will not go to Uni here but now plan to leave… and this to name just a few.
I am not naiive, already in 2020 I was acutely aware of anti Israel attitudes especially in certain circles, but there was a difference…
Also if you permit me to say, I am surprised at the wording of some statements in the survey especially the statement that Israel treats the Palestinians the way the Nazis treated the Jews… Seems to me that such is sugestive and somehow re- enforces anti Israel propagnda and false narratives.
Harold Zwier28 October at 11:06 pm
It appears from the article that the Crossroads25 survey included the proposition, “Israel treats the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews”. That proposition invites survey participants to consider an association that may not have been in their minds to begin with. It would be interesting to hear the steps taken by the people who drafted the survey, to avoid “push polling”.
Vic Alhadeff OAM28 October at 10:19 am
Congrats to Professor Andrew Markus and The Jewish Independent on this groundbreaking initiative. It dispels many of the concerns which have been preoccupying the community, while at the same time shining a light on where work needs to be done.