Published: 17 May 2022
Last updated: 4 March 2024
For most Australian Jews, the key issues have been the economy, climate and integrity - not skirmishes in Goldstein or Wentworth
HISTORICALLY, WHENEVER WE Jews have found ourselves at the centre of political controversy, it has rarely ended well. So as the 2022 election campaign draws to a close, we are quite fortunate that there is a broad bipartisan consensus in Australian politics that condemns antisemitism along with all other forms of racism, and that consensus appears to be maintained regardless of who forms government after Saturday.
This consensus also extends to support of the State of Israel and its right to both defend itself, and live within secure borders, although dissident voices can certainly be heard on both the broad Left and the extreme Right.
Just last week in Victoria we saw Daniel Andrews, a Labor Premier from the political Left, declare his enthusiastic support for Israel, as well as announcing that his government would legislate to ban the public display of the Nazi swastika and also adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
So the Left can be and has shown it is supportive of local and international issues of interest for the Jewish community.
As for the federal election, from a Jewish perspective the most striking feature in Victoria is that Australia’s most prominent Jewish politician, Josh Frydenberg, is in grave danger of losing his seat. Frydenberg – federal Treasurer, deputy leader of the Liberal Party and heir-apparent to Scott Morrison – is battling to hold on to Kooyong, usually a safe Liberal seat, against a strong challenge from Dr Monique Ryan, an independent.
This is not, I hasten to say, because Frydenberg is Jewish. In fact, people in the leafy surrounds and prosperous areas of Hawthorn and Kew seem to pride themselves on their broad-mindedness in electing a Jewish successor to Sir Robert Menzies, Andrew Peacock and Petro Georgiou.
