Australia’s Special Envoy to combat anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, has suggested that those who intimidate the Jewish community should face jail time.
“We do need to consider these activities of harassing Jewish people, infecting our community with hate and attacking places of worship and other places, in order to intimidate the Jewish community should result in jail time,” Segal told Sky News.
“Those considering the offences are looking at them in isolation. We need to see them as a pattern of behaviour infected within an aggravated factor of hate against the Jewish people.”
Segal explained the need to convey “how serious this is for the future of our country” to authorities assessing the penalties and bringing the prosecutions.
This follows a similar call from Jewish Liberal MP Julian Leeser for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to convene a national cabinet and ensure those who graffiti a Jewish synagogue go to jail.
“And I think the federal government does have a responsibility. Firstly, they have a responsibility to convene the national cabinet. Secondly, there are offences through using a carriage service, a mobile phone, using apps to plan and organise these attacks.”
Leeser said all levels of government should be using every power at their disposal to ensure that these attacks don’t happen.
“I was delighted to see the premier of Queensland say that if the prime minister convenes a national cabinet to look at these issues, he would be there in a heartbeat.”
“What the photographs do not convey is the burnt, damp smell that purveys the air. But the scenes are shocking. The twisted metal air conditioners, the charred remains of chairs ... And the cavity in the wall stripped bare to the brick shell where the Torahs—the holiest object in the synagogue—were kept,” he said.
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies agreed with Leeser’s call.
Prime Minister and Premiers Working to Stop Attacks
Albanese held a meeting to deal with the rising incidents of anti-Semitism in the community with state leaders and the federal police commissioner on Jan. 13.In a joint statement, the prime minister, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, and Acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe said all three governments had agreed to work relentlessly to stop these attacks on the Jewish community and ensure those responsible face “the full force of the law.”
The AFP has received 124 reports of anti-Semitism, threats, and hatred towards the Jewish community. Of these reports, 1,012 are under investigation.
The federal and state governments highlighted a range of actions they had taken to crack down on anti-Semitism.
This includes introducing a ban on the Nazi salute and hate symbols, criminalizing doxxing, $32 million worth of funding for schools and synagogues, and $250,000 to restore Torah scrolls housed in the Adass Israel Synagogue.
In addition, legislation was introduced to the federal parliament to criminalise hate speech, while the Australian Federal Police Special Operation Avalite was established to target anti-Semitism.
“The Albanese government unequivocally condemns antisemitism. The rise of anti-Semitism is abhorrent and there is no place for the kind of hate speech and attacks we have seen recently in our country,” the government said.
