Antisemitism. The Royal Conflation Commission is in session

The Bondi Royal Commission began its public hearings this week and the mainstream media is debunking the rhetoric of antisemitism while ignoring other Jewish voices. Stephanie Tran reports.

First block of public hearings Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion This week began with a focus on the prevalence and key drivers of antisemitism in Australia.

Questions about representation and balance have already emerged; Critics argue that the hearings were dominated by established pro-Israel Jewish organizations, while progressive and non-Zionist voices remained marginalized.

A number of peak Jewish bodies giving evidence, including the Executive Council of Australian Jews, the Board of Jewish Deputies of New South Wales, the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, the Zionist Federation of Australia, the National Council of Australian Jewish Women, the Council for Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Dor Foundation, are represented by the same barristers and barristers Arnold Bloch Leibler.

In her opening speech on Monday, Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell said she was “delighted that these organizations represent the majority of Australian Jews”.

The hearings will also include evidence from prominent figures in the community, and the lawyer assisting Zelie Heger said the hearings would provide a “bird’s eye view” of antisemitism in Australia.

These include Jillian Segal, Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, and Jeremy Leibler, partner of Arnold Bloch Leibler and president of the Zionist Federation of Australia.

Uniting Jewish identity with Israel

Peter Wertheim, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, told the Royal Commission on Tuesday that pro-Palestinian protests after October 7 were “shocking” and described the “endless repetition of the charge of genocide” as an attempt to “rebrand Jews en masse”.

Bell granted the Jewish Council of Australia limited permission to examine expert witnesses on the IHRA definition and survey data on antisemitic attitudes, describing it as representing a “distinct but much smaller segment of the Jewish community”.

This characterization has been challenged by some Jewish scholars and advocates, who argue that the Jewish community is much more politically and ideologically diverse.

Antony Loewenstein, independent journalist, filmmaker and author Palestine Laboratoryand an advisory committee member of the Jewish Council of Australia said it was “highly questionable” whether the organizations appearing before the commission reflected the breadth of Jewish views in Australia.

“The Australian Jewish community is culturally, politically and religiously diverse and

It is highly questionable whether the most pro-Netanyahu, pro-Israel lobby groups represent the majority of Jews in the country.

Loewenstein criticized the tendency among these organizations to conflate Jewish identity with the actions of the state of Israel.

“The conflation of Israel and Judaism pursued by so-called mainstream Jewish groups in Australia is both historically inaccurate and dangerous, tying Jews to the actions of a genocidal Jewish state.”

Professor Linda Briskman, the Margaret Whitlam Chair in Social Work at Western Sydney University who is also on the advisory committee of the Jewish Council of Australia, said her research on Australian Jews critical of Israeli government policies pointed to a different picture than that presented by top institutions.

Co-authored by Briskman Not in Our Name: Australian Jews SpeakA report examining the experiences of Australian Jews who oppose Israeli policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“We found that opposition to Israel’s actions is based not on a rejection of Jewish identity but on deep moral commitments grounded in Jewish traditions of justice,” he said.

He added that Jews who express dissenting views often face “significant personal and social consequences” and said:

Antisemitism should be considered alongside other forms of racism.

“We should be concerned about racism in all its forms,” he said. “Racism against Jews should not be seen as an exception. We know that Islamophobia has increased greatly since October 7, but it does not receive as much publicity and attention.”

Jewish Council of Australia

The Jewish Council of Australia, which represents Australian Jews and supports Palestinian rights while also opposing antisemitism and racism, was on Friday granted permission to cross-examine expert witnesses on the IHRA definition and data on antisemitism.

In a letter to supporters, executive director Sarah Schwartz wrote that the group raise funds It will include legal representation at the hearing.

“Legacy pro-Israel organizations that receive significant public funding have already established a holding company and briefed a large team of lawyers and legal professionals,” he wrote.

The balance of representation will shape how the hearings are publicly understood, Schwartz said. MWM,

If the Jewish groups represented at these hearings were solely pro-Israel, this would have a significant impact on the narrative.

“Having us in the chamber will be the most effective way to ensure that these hearings are not exploited to pursue a right-wing agenda and demonize Palestinians, Muslims, immigrants and those who speak out against Israel’s genocide.”

IHRA definition

The hearings will examine the use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

In his opening remarks, Bell acknowledged disagreements within the Jewish community over the definition and noted concerns that the definition could be used to stifle criticism of Israel.

“The Jewish community is not a monolithic society and there are differences of opinion among them on issues including Middle East politics,” he said. “I am aware that some Jews and other members of the Australian community believe that the IHRA working definition of antisemitism can be used as a weapon to suppress criticism of Israel.”

However, Bell defended its use, arguing that behavior should be evaluated in context.

“I think some of the criticism of the IHRA definition is based on misunderstandings,” he said. “Examples of behavior that may constitute antisemitism within the scope of this working definition are precisely these. In each case, the question of whether the behavior should be considered antisemitic is considered in its general context.

“I expect the application of the IHRA definition to be detailed during the evidence given by witnesses with appropriate expertise in this first block of hearings.”

“When anti-Zionism turns into antisemitism”

Richard Lancaster SC, the barrister assisting the Royal Commission, said one of the important tasks of the inquiry was to “determine when anti-Zionism develops into antisemitism”.

He defined Zionism as “the belief in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancestral and biblical homeland of Israel”, which he said was a “core value” for many Australian Jews.

Lancaster said some examples in the IHRA definition suggest that, depending on the context, “denying the right to self-determination may be antisemitic,” attributing collective responsibility to Jews for the actions of the state of Israel, or expressing hatred based on perceived loyalty to Israel may be antisemitic.

“Another aspect of this is that current Australian political and social commentary undoubtedly exhibits many examples of very strongly expressed criticism of the polarizing actions of Israel’s current government,” he added, noting that expert witnesses would be asked to help distinguish between legitimate political criticism and antisemitic rhetoric.

“One of the experts to be called is Dr. Dave Rich, who is policy director at the Community Security Trust in London and a research fellow at the London Center for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism,” said Lancaster.

Rich is “a leading expert on left-wing antisemitism”. it exists rejected the UN finding Stating that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, he stated that the UN’s finding “puts the final nail in the coffin of Israel’s reputation, but it is as shoddy and partisan as any other attempt to attach the genocide label to the Jewish State.”

In March, Rich made a delivery keynote speech One conference The launch of a new national approach to tackling antisemitism in Australian schools, developed by UNESCO and implemented by the Office of the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.

Bondi Royal Commission. What this report refuses to see