The only way to fight racism is by working together.
Over recent days, we have seen another frenzy being whipped up against antisemitism, as a vile attack on a synagogue is used to fabricate connections and stories about antisemitism in other places. Politicians, the media, Jewish community spokespeople, people on the street, are all getting into a panic. This panic - like other social panics - is leading to calls for further repression, securitisation, control, and, in the end, further racism.
But we reject this.
Divides are being drawn up: Jews are being encouraged to stay away from other people. Jews are being encouraged to centre themselves and not draw connections with other forms of racism.
We reject this.
In recent days Netanyahu has issued a statement regarding antisemitism here. That the media reports on his comments as anything other than a self-serving attempt to keep feeding the flames of genocide is deeply revealing of the media’s own investment in settler-colonial genocide.
We reject this.
Indeed that the media and politicians continue to focus on antisemitism while refusing to discuss the genocidal racism that First Nations people here, and Palestinians in Palestine, endure, is revealing of how settler-colonialism works around the world. That protests against the infrastructure and representatives of genocide - as seen in the entirely legitimate and laudable protest at Miznon, which was a protest against the spokesperson for GHF - are being conflated with antisemitism is a deliberate attempt to distract from talking about the reality of the overwhelming horrors of the genocide that israel and zionism are waging: including the deliberate destruction of Muslim and Christian mosques, churches, holy sites, and religious leaders. It is also a deliberate attempt to create a disconnect between Jews and non-Jews, to splinter people apart.
That the media continues to refuse to report on the true scale of the devastation of the ongoing genocide and that politicians continue to refuse to do all they can to stop the genocide is reprehensible.
And so we say to Jews in so-called Australia that we need to be aware of how we’re being used, by racists, fascists and antisemites in all sections of society: on the street, in the media, and in the parliaments. We need to collectively refuse to allow ourselves to be used to further racism against other peoples or to justify anti-protest laws and the crackdown on the ability to protest. We need to refuse to hide behind ever growing walls. We need to stand on the streets with all others facing horrors.
And we need to see our horrors in their proper perspective, and not give in to the narcissism that zionism and settler-colonialism tries to build: we are not the primary victims in this moment. Our feelings of fear and discomfort need to be kept in check. We should not allow our feelings to be used to justify further violence against others. There is no security, police or government response which will end antisemitism. We can only do that by working together, at the grassroots.
Protesting the ongoing genocide that Israel is perpetrating against Palestinians, and the rapid expansion of anti-Palestinian racism across so-called Australia and indeed the whole world, is vital. The resistance movement that is being built, here and everywhere, is beautiful. It brings together people from all parts of the community. It dreams of liberation and justice for all and works to fulfil those dreams.
Because when we say ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ we are saying that everyone on that land will be free. When we say ‘always was always will be Aboriginal land’ we are remembering that there is sovereignty here that must be respected and learned from. When we say ‘death death to the IDF’ we are saying that there is no room on this earth for genocidal armies. And when we say ‘free Palestine’ we are saying that we know that everyone everywhere will be liberated by the struggle.