Media Releases

AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, “We congratulate Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his team on retaining government, and look forward to once again working with them constructively in the interests of Australia, including our Australian Jewish community.”

“We also extend congratulations to Jewish members who were re-elected; Mark Dreyfus, Josh Burns and Mike Freelander from Labor and Liberal Julian Leeser.

“However we regret the loss to the Parliament of staunch friends of the Jewish community including Peter Dutton and several of his colleagues, thank them for their principled support and their service to the nation, and wish them well for the future.”

Dr Rubenstein added, “The dismal results for the Greens show that Australia has rejected its hatred and divisive rhetoric. This election victory represents an opportunity for the Labor Government to push back more strongly against the unprecedented levels of antisemitism, hate speech and incitement to violence we have experienced over the last 19 months. This should include better explaining to the public Australia’s unique model of multiculturalism, emphasising not only the rights it affords but also the overriding responsibilities it requires and which need to be enforced, in particular regarding complying with the rule of law, mutual respect and gender equality.

“We also hope to see a return to the longstanding bipartisan position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This includes an insistence that all issues can only be resolved through direct negotiations, and an acceptance that premature recognition of a non-existent Palestinian state will be detrimental to peacemaking. We hope the next government will be alive to the twin-pronged threat of Iran’s illegal nuclear program and its regional meddling, both of which threaten the stability of the entire Middle East,” Dr Rubenstein concluded.