It is time for good people to act 

Evil prevails when good people do nothing.  The massacre that targeted Jews and killed 15 people at Bondi Beach on Sunday, December 14 should not have surprised us.  Since the horrific attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, antisemitism has been more virulent in Australia. 

What we saw that Sunday at Bondi not only highlighted the immediate and palpable threats to Jewish communities in Australia but also signalled a greater sociopolitical undercurrent spreading across the Western world. This was not merely a violent incident but evidence of a much larger narrative that intertwines left-wing antisemitism with an increasingly aggressive anti-Zionist ideology. 

The climate that allowed this massacre to occur has been shifting over the past two years, as we have watched little action being taken to curb the rise of antisemitism.  Our Prime Minister, in the face of tragedy, was slow to blame radical Islamism and blamed other factors as well, despite evidence that the Bondi terrorists were Islamist extremists.  

During a trip to Israel, our Foreign Minister chose not to visit areas affected by the October 7, 2023.  Australia recognised a state of Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly in September and now supports resolutions that place Palestinian interests above those of Israel.  Calls to ‘globalise the intifada’ and ‘from the river to the sea’ have gone unchecked, with Australian Jews being asked to bear the consequences without redress. 

Only eight days after the Bondi massacre Wayne Swan, former Deputy Prime Minister and current National President of the Australian Labor Party, reposted “Jewish people boo Albo on arrival at Bondi vigil, but they support Netanyahu who allowed 1200 Israelis to be slaughtered by Hamas then murdered 70,000 innocent people in Gaza….”  This compounds a conspiracy theory about the October 7 atrocities with the bizarre allegation that there have been no Hamas combatant deaths in Gaza (an allegation that is inconsistent with Hamas’ own figures on the high proportion of deaths sustained by combatant-aged men in Gaza). 

The rise of antisemitism has been most evident on university campuses and at street marches. The modern left, particularly through student movements and academic settings, provides fertile ground for these hostile sentiments. What seemed to begin as politically motivated student activism has transformed into forums where traditional antisemitic tropes have been rediscovered and rebranded using the language of human rights and social justice to conceal deeply ingrained biases against Jews as a people. Campus activism, which should empower discussions about tolerance and coexistence, has devolved into incitements that regularly blame entire communities for the actions of a nation. 

After the Bondi massacre, we stand at a pivotal junction. The widespread acceptance of anti-Israel sentiments, portrayed as valid when linked to Palestinian rights, frequently captivates audiences but simultaneously contributes to a hostile atmosphere for Jewish Australians. Remarks that should incite outrage, such as calls for the elimination of the Jewish state or chants justifying violence against civilians, have been normalised under the guise of collective political struggle and free speech. This moral license has contributed to the rise in antisemitic attacks.   

The tragic events in Bondi highlight an urgent need to better understand contemporary antisemitism and to critically examine the intersection of leftist ideologies with anti-Zionism.   While some advocates assert that anti-Zionism is separate from antisemitism, the distinction has become contentious. This contemporary movement is shaped by global social justice, decolonisation, and the inversion of human rights language, highlighting Palestinian struggles.  It has promoted and bears some responsibility for the recent tragedy at Bondi.  When Jewish identity becomes a target for violence, we all face a societal failure. 

As we reflect on and grieve the Bondi tragedy, it is time to look through any supposed nuanced distinction between anti-Zionism and antisemitism and see it for what it is: a hatred of Jews. It is time for good people to act. 

Julie Claridge is the author of the Centre for Independent Studies paper, Reframing an Ancient Hatred: the intersection of left-wing antisemitism and anti-Zionism.