Media Releases

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) today expressed its appreciation to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for their strong bipartisan statements yesterday condemning the extremism and antisemitism which has been afflicting the Australian community, and for calling out the role of representatives of the Greens party in helping incite it.

AIJAC Executive Director Dr. Colin Rubenstein said, “The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader deserve the support of every Australian of good will for their strong bipartisan statements yesterday regarding the spread of antisemitism and extremism in Australia in the wake of the war Hamas sparked with its attacks on October 7. And it is especially important that both flagged the role of members of the Greens party in inflaming this ugly trend.

“As the Prime Minister said, ‘Enough is Enough’ – some Greens have been ‘consciously and deliberately’ spreading misinformation, and have helped incite or been complicit in violent acts and intolerable harassment by pro-Palestinian activists targeting our political leaders, their staff, and people whose crime is to be Jewish. It is past time they were called out.

“And as Peter Dutton said, what is happening ‘is completely and utterly unacceptable’ and ‘needs to be condemned.’”

Dr. Rubenstein added, “We commend the important words of both the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader yesterday and call on both our major political parties to now explore additional concrete ways to confront the ugliness increasingly afflicting Australia over recent weeks and months. Furthermore, given the role the Australian Greens have played in this ugliness, we request both major parties consider making a commitment to move the Greens further down their list of preferences at the next election.”