Published: 18 July 2024
Last updated: 18 July 2024
In analysing how Australian progressives have responded to the current antisemitic wave, it is useful to draw a comparison with progressive reactions to the last serious outbreak of populist antisemitism in Australia in early 1960.
That outbreak involved a wave of swastika daubings across the western world. This included Australia where about 100 incidents occurred nationally in all capital cities involving the painting or drawing of swastikas and/or anti-Jewish slogans.
The principal perpetrators may have been members of far-right European émigré groups whose members blamed alleged Jewish Communists for the continuing Soviet occupation of their homelands.
How did the Australian left respond to this outbreak of antisemitism? They displayed unconditional solidarity with the Jewish community against racism.
Leaders from the ALP, trade union movement, peace movement, churches, and academia spoke at a Citizens Protest Meeting organised by the Jewish Council to Combat Fascism and Anti-Semitism. There were also multiple resolutions passed by ALP branches and trade unions condemning antisemitism.
In contrast, most of the leading Australian progressive organisations – trade unions, academics and intellectuals, social movements etc. – have provided limited anti-racist solidarity to Jewish community in the current context. A number have said they don’t approve of antisemitism but have taken no action to demonstrate their disapproval. They have acted as bystanders.
One possible explanation for their passivity may be that they expect racism to emanate from powerful and politically conservative groups in society, that is from above. However, many of those active in the current antisemitic populist movement seem to come from either progressive groups or religious or ethnic minorities, that is to some extent from below.
One explanation may be that they expect racism to emanate from powerful and conservative groups.
Progressives appear to be struggling to understand why groups or individuals that may themselves be subject to forms of disadvantage, including prejudice, are openly perpetrating racism.
Comments4
Kevin Judah White23 July at 07:55 am
Isn’t there a moderator to filter out some of the extreme, abusive language in at least one of the above posts?
John Lazarus19 July at 03:35 am
Mr Parish’s comments correctly states there is predjudice on both sides, but incorrectly puts Zionists into one group, all allegedly anti Palestinian – “I think we can agree that Zionism is a prime example of sufferers from prejudice being openly racist”. The original Zionist concept was for a Jewish state on the Jewish homeland where all faiths could also live together. The Israeli Muslim Druze and Bedouin who have joined the Israeli army are Zionists. Originally the pre modern Israel establishment ‘Palestinian’ Socialist and Communist Muslim Arabs, supported the creation of Israel, noting the pre existing communal kibutz movement as a potential for the arab agricultural workers who were in effect serfs on large arab aricultural farms. A blame game does nothing for the situation there or the worsening situation of comunal strife here.
Wesley Parish18 July at 10:29 am
I feel the need to make these comments on specific points of Phillip Mendes’ essay “Why progressives are failing on contemporary antisemitism”.
“They seem to have trouble accepting that groups or individuals who themselves suffer from prejudice are openly perpetrating racism.” I think the same can be said about Jewish Zionists – I can think of some American Jewish Zionists I’ve debated with c 2003-04 who were deeply racist towards Arabs. And for that matter, since “A land without a people for a people without a land” in relation to Palestinians perpetrates the same genocidal concepts as “Terra Nullius” did for the Australian First Nations, I think we can agree that Zionism is a prime example of sufferers from prejudice being openly racist. And Australian Zionists seem to have trouble accepting that fact.
“It blames the victim by suggesting that Australian Jews are collectively responsible for what Israel does.” Read any Jerusalem Post opinion page and you’ll find Israeli Jews suggesting that Palestinians are collectively responsible for anything that Hamas or whoever, does. And then again, by insisting that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, Zionists tie Jewish identity and Zionism, particularly in the form of Israel, so tightly that most people – who don’t have my education in philosophy – can’t see the difference between Israel and their local Jewish communities.
“Nor have Australian Muslims been subjected as a collective since October 7 to the same populist threats, attacks and attempts at exclusion from public life as Australian Jews.” But on the other hand, nowhere in either Australia or New Zealand has anyone perpetrated a mass murder of Jews like the Christchurch Mosque massacre. On the other hand, I think there is a case to be made that identifying Islam and terrorism over the past six decades made the Christchurch Mosque massacre possible.
Ann18 July at 08:44 am
A commitment to social justice and the elimination of discrimination for minority groups is outlined as a core principle in The Greens charter……’just so long as it isn’t the Jews’.
Thanks for this article.