"The sharp spike in antisemitism that we've witnessed in Australia has been mirrored in other western countries and seems clearly linked to events in the Middle East, the commissioner, Virginia Bell, said on the first morning. It's important that people understand how quickly those events can prompt ugly displays of hostility towards Jewish Australians simply because they're Jews: displays of hostility that are sometimes expressed in images and sentiments that can sometimes be traced back to the Middle Ages if not earlier."
"This royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion was established in the wake of December's Bondi massacre, in which two antisemitic gunmen opened fire on Jews attending a beachside Hanukah celebration, killing 15 people and injuring 40 others. Below is the testimony of witnesses, click on the quotes to expand: The reality is, they came to kill us. We just weren't there. And it's living with that truth that makes it very hard to feel safe as a Jew in Australia"
"It's impossible for children not to internalise that they are living through that reality. They hear antisemitism around them all the time they see the stickers they see the graffiti, they know about Bondi. It's become part of their psyche. The Australian Jewish community is living a very different reality to what I think the rest of the Australian community is living. We arrived in Bondi [for dinner one evening] and my eight-year-old just started crying, which is strange, and I said to her, What's wrong?' And she said, Now when I come to Bondi, I think about dying.'"
Narrow public gallery benches are filled with people offering testimony, supporting friends, and seeking comfort while listening in a quiet room. The setting represents Australia’s effort to address a modern form of an ancient bigotry. A sharp rise in antisemitism has been observed in Australia and mirrored in other Western countries, with links to events in the Middle East. Hostility toward Jewish Australians can appear quickly and includes images and sentiments traceable to the Middle Ages. A royal commission into antisemitism and social cohesion was established after the Bondi massacre, when antisemitic gunmen attacked Jews at a Hanukah celebration, killing 15 and injuring 40. Witnesses describe ongoing fear, and children internalizing antisemitism through stickers, graffiti, and memories of Bondi.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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