Australia opposition party launches new antisemitism task force in wake of Bondi Beach shooting after ‘warnings were not heeded’
After the tragic Bondi Beach shooting, the Australian opposition leader announced a fresh task force aimed at fighting antisemitism, extremism and counter‑terrorism. Sussan Ley was chosen to head the group, which comes on the heels of the Sunday attack that claimed 15 lives and left many others injured while they were celebrating Hanukkah.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the new body will tackle the sharp rise in anti‑Jewish sentiment that has been quietly building for two years.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Ley told reporters, “For two years, Jewish Australians have been warning that antisemitism is rising and that their lives have been made harder, day after day.”
She added, “Those warnings were not heeded.” In the same session she made it clear that the government must adopt all of the recommendations in Jillian Segal’s summer report on antisemitism.
The report had called for tougher visa vetting of individuals with known anti‑Jewish views and for the withdrawal of funding from institutions that fail to address harassment.
Critics noted that the original set of guidelines did not always differentiate between legitimate criticism of the Gaza war and outright antisemitic hate. Nevertheless, Ley insists the full package must be implemented to protect Australians, labeling antisemitism a “real and present danger” in the country.
“This is a national security issue,” Ley said. “It is not a debate about politics or slogans. It is about keeping Australians safe.” Segal, whose own report warned that antisemitism in Australia had reached a “tipping point that threatens social harmony,” agreed that the government’s response needed to accelerate.
She told Sky News, “Of course, the report could have been acted on further and faster, but that doesn’t mean opportunity is lost.” She also added, “I think that now the community is sufficiently concerned and anxious about this, that there should be a formal statement about the implementation.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced mounting criticism for not fully applying Segal’s recommendations, especially after a global spike in anti‑Jewish hate amid the Gaza conflict.
Asked whether earlier adoption of the report could have saved lives during a recent ABC Sydney interview, Albanese responded defensively: “Antisemitism didn’t begin in 2022.” He went on to say, “We are working as hard as we can. Antisemitism, tragically, has been around for a long period of time.”
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