Hate Speech. Protecting Israel’s reputation in Australia just got cheaper

Israel’s reputation is seen in Western media and political spheres as a strategic asset that must be managed. The Israeli ‘machine’ spends a lot of money and effort to do this. Passing hate laws through parliament changed some of the cost to us. Rex Patrick explains.

Let’s start with some explanations. 1) I respect people of the Jewish faith. 2) I respect people of Islamic faith. 3) Hamas’ attacks against Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023 were wrong. 4) Israel’s genocide in Gaza was wrong. 5) Hezbollah and Houthis’ attacks on Israeli citizens were wrong. 6) Israel’s attacks on Lebanese citizens were wrong. 7) The bondi beach terrorist attack was wrong.

Violence against civilians is wrong.

I have been asked many times to weigh in on the Gaza conflict. I declined because it is a complex subject, requires a fundamental understanding of history, and contains perspectives that would leave me speaking from an uninformed place unless significant research was done.

I also believe that nothing said here in Australia, including by our Prime Minister, will change the views of the Netanyahu government or Hamas. We may be a “middle power” internationally, but Australia doesn’t actually hold much weight in the strategic or political balance in the Middle East.

I condemn violence on all fronts and maintain that while everyone has the right to respectful comment and peaceful protest, Middle Eastern issues should not be the basis for hateful or violent division in Australian society.

Balcony overlooking Jerusalem

But I decided to at least learn something about the current environment in the Middle East from someone who had spent time there and whom I could trust. This is what made me buy John Lyon’s book ‘The Balcony Over Jerusalem’.

Lyons is a prominent Australian journalist who currently works for the ABC in Washington and has occasionally upset Donald Trump. His book takes the reader through the wonders and dangers of the Middle East that he experienced and learned during his 6 years as a foreign correspondent living in Israel.

While the book takes the reader on an interesting journey through conflicts in the Middle East, including Gaza and the Occupied Territories, a clear theme that emerged in the book was how hard the Israeli ‘machine’ is trying to shape and indeed control the outside world’s perception of Israel.

control the narration

In the book, Lyons argues that Israel’s international reputation is a strategic asset and is up there in terms of the importance of national security and diplomacy. It uses a ‘machine’ that not only reacts to criticism of Israel, but also engages in proactive narrative shaping, which includes systematic interaction with journalists, diplomats and influencers.

Here in Australia, members of Parliament are often offered all-expenses-paid trips to Israel where they can see Israel’s perspective on security. I was invited to do this when I became a senator, but I declined.

MPs’ Trips funded by Israel 1010 – 2018 (Source: ASPI)

2018 to work An investigation by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found that the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), part of the ‘machine’, was the largest sponsor of all non-Australian government-funded trips for federal parliamentarians from 2010 to 2018.

‘The Machine’ is responsible for political donations predominantly to the Liberal Party but also to the Labor Party. If the Machine wants a resolution in the House or Senate, or wants help mixing criticism of Israel/Zionism with anti-Semitism, all it takes is one phone call.

Source: Australia 15 March 2025

Former Secretary of State Bob Carr said what Israel did “Well-financed foreign influence operation designed to put Israel’s interests above Australia’s interests and foreign policyMPs or senators who speak out will be reminded of the donations and threatened with the possibility of a well-financed opponent running against them in the next election.

If a reader searches Google for “John Lyons Balcony Over Jerusalem review,” the first entry that comes up is scathing. AIJAC’s review. The first turn is critical when you question “Bob Carr Israel’s foreign influence” NSW Jewish Board of Deputies Facebook Page.

Taxpayer-funded study

While the attack in Bondi on 14 December 2025 was clearly anti-Semitic and disgusting, it is clear that Prime Minister Albanese is not interested in setting up a Royal Commission.

Relentless lobbying was clearly behind Albanese’s decision to proceed with the Royal Commission. The ‘Machine’ made no secret of his efforts to make her see things from their perspective.

Royal Commission Terms of Reference Summary (Source: PM&C)

Firstly, past Royal Commissions have looked at events, institutions, industries, policies etc. While looking, this Royal Commission looks into the minds of citizens in a unique way. If the Royal Commission does its job properly it will open a can of worms; Worms that have proven beyond management by governments trying to combat religious discrimination or free speech laws.

Ah, you can’t easily close the lid of the box.

Secondly, there is the problem created by the hypocrisy of the ‘machine’ who does not want Gaza to be included in the debate, but wants peaceful protests to take place over Gaza, which is somehow blamed for what happened on Bondi Beach.

But to control this, the ‘machine’ would have to place its own Commissioner in the chair. He tried, but luckily Albanese went with his choice, former Supreme Court Justice Virginia Bell.

Maybe the ‘free’ work that the ‘machine’ has will not produce the desired result.

Misinformed premise

we are returning Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Immigration Laws) Act 2026, In his second reading speech, the Chief Prosecutor said:

The violent terrorist attack we saw in Bondi was not spontaneous. Violent extremism begins with words of hate spread throughout society by harmful individuals and organizations. This hatred erodes the multicultural democratic society. This bill targets those who support violence, especially violence that targets an individual due to their immutable nature. This behavior is a crime, but more importantly, it is the seed of extremism, the roots of terrorism. It needs to be stamped with the full force of the law.

A major problem is that we do not know clearly enough what motivated the Bondi attackers; One thing the perpetrators hear said in public is the observation of Israeli behavior in Gaza (and conflating Israel’s behavior with tenets of the Jewish faith), online teachings of the Islamic State coming from abroad or producing extremist propaganda locally.

We can see that the bill was passed by the Parliament on an ill-informed proposition.

From River to Sea – Hate Speech

Another problem is that the crimes included in the bill are open to interpretation.

Saying something hateful does not violate the terms of the bill. It must be speech that advocates or threatens violence against a person of a particular race, nationality, or ethnicity.

So, what happens if someone protesting the genocide in Gaza chants “”?From River to Sea Palestine Will Be FreeThe person saying this may not have a violent bone in his body, and from his perspective he may rightly be using this as a call for human rights, dignity and equality for Palestinians living under military occupation in the Occupied Territories or Gaza.

An Israeli or a Jew wandering around the past might rightfully see these words, from their point of view, as a direct threat to the existence of Israel and the security of the Jewish population, or as an anti-Semitic statement.

The non-violent person may have committed a criminal offense or had their visa revoked.

When asked how this will all work,

The Chief Public Prosecutor could not answer.

Transferred cost burden

This is a great thing for the ‘machine’.

He will surely find a way to test the law (including our Constitution), with taxpayers taking responsibility for maintaining the narrative and suppressing criticism.

The chanting defendant may win the case but lose his home in the process. And what is even more chilling is that uncertainty remains because the outcome will most likely depend on the ‘circumstances of the case’.

And if they are imprisoned instead, the hymn will become a different set of words that can mean different things to different people and

The roundabout of litigation will continue to turn.

Meanwhile, Michael West, who never backs down from honest reporting, for voicing this hymn in a social media report offering the perspective of non-violent people. MWM may find itself fighting to avoid being listed as a banned hate group.

The outcome of the court case may not matter; Legal fees could bleed the organization dry as the taxpayer funds the prosecution. don’t note MWM’The ‘machine’ would have been ecstatic with its fearless reporting on Gaza

In fact, everything is a complete mess.

But this will not worry the ‘machine’. Once they have the Australian Government and Parliament doing most of their work, they will direct their considerable resources towards new techniques of influence and control.

Pressure to accelerate enforcement changes on hate speech

Rex Patrick is a former Senator for South Australia and formerly a submariner in the armed forces. Known as an anti-corruption and transparency warrior, Rex is also known as “Transparency Warrior“