FRESH AIR

MEDIA RELEASES

AIJAC applauds Federal Government’s new Nazi symbols bill

June 7, 2023 | AIJAC

Swastika 39031 1280

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) today welcomed and applauded the announcement that the Federal Government will introduce a bill next week to ban the public display of Nazi symbols across Australia. AIJAC Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein said, “As I have noted before, Nazi symbols are universally recognised messages of hate and genocide. They are used to frighten, intimidate, and hurt their targets. We believe this legislation will send a clear message to the Australian community that we as a nation will not tolerate those who seek to divide us by promoting an ideology characterised by racism, industrialised genocide and mass murder.” Dr Rubenstein continued, “The bill is particularly welcome at a time when antisemitism is rising globally and, frighteningly, moving into mainstream discourse in numerous different ways – a process that has been abetted in Australia by the public displays by Neo-Nazi thugs on the streets of Melbourne and other cities. Unless and until there are consequences for their actions, we can expect neo-Nazis to become more brazen, with all the destructive consequences they create for communal harmony and the rights of  vulnerable minorities.” AIJAC Director of Community and International Affairs Jeremy Jones added, “Australian right-wing extremists deserve contempt and ridicule, but also need clear deterrents to their harmful behaviour. The proposed commonwealth laws appears to be designed to supplement existing and proposed state Nazi symbol laws in several useful ways – it clearly applies to symbols displayed online, it bans the traffic in Nazi memorabilia, and it provides police with the ability to immediately act to deal with the display of Nazi symbols by giving them the power to order their immediate removal. These are all welcome steps in line with the recommendations of AIJAC and other Jewish community groups. We believe they will make the law more effective in fulfilling its intended purposes of both protecting the community and helping to further marginalise the thankfully tiny minority of open racist extremists in this country.” Colin Rubenstein concluded, “We are grateful to the Federal Government in general and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in particular for their efforts to develop and advance this bill so quickly. We also thank the Opposition for their efforts to help promote a Federal bill to ban Nazi symbols. We hope and expect that the current proposed bill can receive bipartisan support, and become law as soon as practicable.”

Tags: , ,

RELATED ARTICLES

Screenshot 2025 06 27 At 4.03.57 pm

Weekend Hebrew media update: Gaza, Iran and Israel

Jun 27, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Targeted Israeli strikes in Teheran (Source: Heute.at)

Inside Israel’s strike on Iran: The intelligence coups that made it possible

Jun 27, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Screenshot 2025 06 25 At 6.06.49 pm

War Update: Operation Rising Lion – Were the goals achieved?

Jun 25, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Screenshot 2025 06 24 At 7.12.23 pm

War Update: Operation Rising Lion – Will the ceasefire hold?

Jun 24, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Screenshot 2025 06 23 At 7.53.42 pm

War Update: Operation Rising Lion – US joins the fight

Jun 23, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
Screenshot 2025 06 19 At 6.54.53 pm

War Update: Operation Rising Lion – Soroka Hospital struck

Jun 19, 2025 | Featured, Fresh AIR
D11a774c 2a47 C987 F4ce 2d642e6d9c8d

Bibi in DC, the Houthi threat and the politicised ICJ opinion

Jul 26, 2024 | Update
Image: Shutterstock

Nine months after Oct. 7: Where Israel stands now

Jul 10, 2024 | Update
Palestinian Red Crescent workers from Al-Najjar Hospital in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip (Image: Shutterstock)

Hamas’ impossible casualty figures

Mar 28, 2024 | Update
455daec3 C2a8 8752 C215 B7bd062c6bbc

After the Israel-Hamas ceasefire for hostages deal

Nov 29, 2023 | Update
Screenshot of Hamas bodycam footage as terrorists approach an Israeli vehicle during the terror organisation's October 7, 2023 attack in southern Israel, released by the IDF and GPO (Screenshot)

Horror on Video / International Law and the Hamas War

Oct 31, 2023 | Update
Sderot, Israel. 7th Oct, 2023. Bodies of dead Israelis lie on the ground following the attacks of Hamas (Image: Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/Alamy Live News)

Israel’s Sept. 11, only worse

Oct 11, 2023 | Update
Screenshot

‘Optimism’ for Hamas to ‘exile’ their power and create a permanent ceasefire with Israel: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Jun 30, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot

Australian government’s response to Iran-Israel conflict ‘disappointing’: Paul Rubenstein on Sky News

Jun 17, 2025 | Video
Screenshot

UNRWA feeds the ‘Palestinian delusion’ of no Jewish state: Dr Einat Wilf on Sky News

Jun 12, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot 2025 05 30 At 11.22.09 AM

Albanese urged to visit Israel instead of ‘throwing mud’ over Gaza war: Joel Burnie on Sky News

May 30, 2025 | Featured, Video
Screenshot 2025 05 09 At 12.06.51 PM

The Australian elections and the Middle East: Joel Burnie on the Middle East Forum podcast

May 9, 2025 | Video
Screenshot 2025 05 07 At 9.28.49 AM

Greens ran a ‘toxic and divisive’ election campaign for Jewish voters: Joel Burnie on Sky News

May 7, 2025 | Featured, Video

RECENT POSTS

Wissam Haddad in one of his online sermons (YouTube screenshot)

AIJAC welcomes finding of 18C breach by Islamic preacher Wissam Haddad

5xbO4 Hs

Honouring Dr Efraim Zuroff, renowned Nazi hunter

Screenshot

‘Optimism’ for Hamas to ‘exile’ their power and create a permanent ceasefire with Israel: Joel Burnie on Sky News

Image: Shutterstock

A ceasefire – but will the fire actually cease?

Screenshot 2025 06 27 At 4.03.57 pm

Weekend Hebrew media update: Gaza, Iran and Israel

SORT BY TOPICS