Australia / Israel Review

More than 30 years ago, my wife and I left South Africa to escape the cruel injustice and racism of apartheid. We came to Australia – delighting in its openness to diversity, its freedom and acceptance of difference, its dazzling multicultural palettes and its respect for its first peoples. 

Nothing prepared us for the pandemic of antisemitism unleashed by October 7. Its trajectory from the Opera House on Oct. 9 has been well documented, as has the agony and anxiety of the Jews of Australia. Here on naked display was the venomous hatred we thought we had left behind in South Africa.

Sadly, the arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue on Dec. 6 was as predictable as it was awful. When vile anti-Jewish words (often concealed as “anti-Zionism”) face no pushback beyond pious pronouncements, violent attacks on people and property are inevitable. As the Talmud teaches, when you are kind to the cruel, you will ultimately be cruel to the kind. 

However, there’s one significant ray of light this time: Unlike the stunning silence of much of the multifaith community after October 7 (and worse, the refusal of most Islamic bodies to even acknowledge the horror), this time support came forth with promptness and unequivocal clarity.

Catholic Archbishop Peter Comensoli messaged me from the airport:

“Ralph, I have just landed in Rome to the terrible, terrible news. My heart is broken. I realise you are now in Sabbath, but be assured of my full and strong support, and my prayer for all the Jewish community in Melbourne. Peter” 

Shortly after he issued a heartfelt public video on all his social media.

Members of the diverse Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Multifaith Advisory Group, which include the various churches, the Baha’i, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh communities, sent out a statement that reads in part:

“The trauma of this incident will resonate deeply within the Jewish community, already grappling with the impact of events in the Middle East. We stand with them in solidarity. News of the fire, on the eve of Shabbat prayers, is especially heartbreaking for people of faith… We stand together.” 

I wondered if Muslim spiritual leaders would respond, given their silence, and, from some, aggressive stances, after October 7. I was thus heartened to see that the Board of Imams of Victoria had signed the Multicultural Commission document. I was even more encouraged by the personal note from my colleague Ahmed of the Australian National Imams Council:

“I know it is Sabbath today… but I wanted to reach out and let you know my heart and prayers are with you and fellow Jewish community in the aftermath of the arson attack on the synagogue. We must all feel safe in our places of worship, and nothing justifies such actions. I pray the perpetrators are brought to account. No matter what both our differences are regarding the situation in the holy land, I believe we wholeheartedly agree in the sanctity of our communities and places of worship.”

You may say these are just words and even worse, may simply be empty posturing. However, as the People of the Book, we believe in the power of words. We know well that words wound and have been part of the path that led to the intimidation and death of so many Jews throughout our history. If we believe unchallenged slurs led to the burning of the shul, then we must also believe that positive statements can lead to its rebuilding and the mending of tattered relationships. 

Ahmed alluded to our differences and the fierce exchanges we have had in some of our public meetings and private conversations about Israel, Palestine and Gaza. But genuine interfaith interactions don’t overlook or minimise differences but in fact lead to real respect for one another.

Yes, religion can divide, but it also unites. In the timeless words of Rev Martin Luther King Jr, it prompts us to recall that the power of love is ultimately stronger than the love of power.