Yossi Schwartz, Internationalist Socialist League, Section of the RCIT in Israel/Occupied Palestine) 22.08.2025
At the same time as relations between Israel and Australia are at a low point, the Jewish Zionists living on the continent are facing repeated anti-Zionist incidents.
Relations between Israel and Australia have reached a low point, with the accusation by the Australian foreign minister that “the Netanyahu government is isolating Israel.” Prime Minister Netanyahu, for his part, attacked his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, describing him as “a weak prime minister who abandoned the Jews of his country.”
Australia, once considered a symbol of multiculturalism and a safe place for Jews and Israelis, has become a challenging arena for the Zionists in recent years. Many Jews came to it, from the former Soviet Union or South Africa, and saw it as a “paradise” and a safe haven.
“This place has always been a warm home for Jews,” says Alex Ribchin, executive director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry – but since the Labor Party came to power in Australia in May 2022, led by Prime Minister Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, relations with Israel have deteriorated and at the same time there has been an increase in anti-Zionism on the continent.
An Israeli source familiar with the relationship said, “Australia is not a hostile country, but it is very critical of us, especially since the war in Gaza. They get a ‘stroke’ from the Knesset’s decisions on the application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, from settler violence and from the images of famine. This joins existing criticism and creates hostile relations towards Zionist Jews.”
A prominent case is the decision of Australian Interior Minister Tony Barak to revoke the visa of Knesset member Simcha Rotman – a move that led Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to revoke visas for Canberra’s representatives in the Palestinian Authority. The Home Secretary comes from the right wing of the Labor Party, but he is from Watson County, which has a large Lebanese population.
In western Sydney, dangerous areas have been created for Zionist Jews. Shai Levin, an Israeli who lives in Bondi, says: “It is dangerous there for those who speak Hebrew or identify as a pro-Israel Jew.”
Nina Weissman-Levy, a lawyer and researcher at the University of Sydney, explains that the Australian government’s historic support for Israel has broken. “If the liberals were in power, the situation would be different,” she says. According to her, Albanese and Wong, from the left wing of Labour, also depend on the votes of the Muslim population (about a million people) and the support of the anti-Israel Green Party. It mentions the pictures of the young Albanese next to the Palestinian flag as evidence of his continued positions.
Ryvchin adds: “The government is taking a firm line against Israel, but at the same time Albanese claims that there is no justification for attacking the Jewish community. They don’t understand that the moment they criticize Israel, they are actually sending a message that it is permissible to attack us, because Zionism is part of our identity.” In other words, he says that the Zionists support the destruction of the Palestinian people.
Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, says the worst outbreaks are in universities and in the arts. “Jewish students report harassment every week, and Jewish artists are excluded from festivals because of pressure from pro-Palestinian groups,” he says.
However, not all Jews are Zionists. An organization called the Jewish Council of Australia, which includes Jews and Israelis who oppose Israel’s policies, joins pro-Palestinian demonstrations.