Today is October 7 and here is your Inside Auspol
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Two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 251 hostages being taken—48 of whom remain in captivity—Australian Jewish communities report experiencing unprecedented levels of antisemitism and social marginalization. Multiple expert testimonies, including from Independent MP Allegra Spender representing Wentworth (Australia’s highest Jewish population electorate) and Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon, document systematic erosion of communal safety, with Jewish Australians requiring security measures at places of worship and designated safe spaces on university campuses that no other Australian community necessitates.
The Australian dimension of this crisis extends beyond international solidarity to fundamental questions of democratic rights and social cohesion. Bren Carlyle from the Australia, Israel and Jewish Affairs Council emphasizes that weekly protests over two years, culminating in attempts to march on the Sydney Opera House during commemorative periods, represent what he characterizes as asymmetric exercises of free speech rights—where one community’s right to protest effectively constrains another community’s ability to access public spaces safely. This morning’s pro-Hamas graffiti in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, appearing on the attack’s anniversary, exemplifies what community leaders describe as normalization of support for designated terrorist organizations.
Ambassador Maimon’s analysis identifies what he terms a double standard in international responses, arguing that comparable attacks on European democracies would generate fundamentally different diplomatic reactions. His central thesis—that “the root cause is not the conflict, the root cause is anti-Semitism”—challenges conventional framings that attribute rising tensions solely to disagreements over Israeli government policy. The Ambassador notes that Australia’s recognition of Palestine while hostages remain captive and before negotiated settlements potentially undermines rather than advances peace processes by signaling that Hamas can achieve diplomatic gains outside negotiation frameworks.
Prospects for resolution involve both international and domestic dimensions. While Israel has accepted President Trump’s achievement-dependent peace framework—emphasizing Hamas’s removal from Gaza governance and Palestinian institution-building—the Australian challenge centers on what Ambassador Maimon identifies as value coherence: maintaining cultural diversity while upholding shared democratic principles. Premier Chris Minns, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley have all condemned recent incidents, yet community leaders like Alex Rifkin argue that “shredded social cohesion” requires systemic responses beyond individual condemnations. The fundamental question remains whether Australia can disagree about international conflicts while ensuring all communities feel secure exercising basic rights of worship, education, and public participation.
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