It is not just Jewish representatives that attended last month’s anti-Semitism conference in Canada. Many in the wider community also feel a responsibility to stamp out the ancient form of vilification.
LAST month, I was privileged to participate in the Ottawa conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism.
Launched last year in London with members of parliaments from around the world, it was important for the Australian Coalition to have a representative, as the party is dedicated to fighting the rise of anti-Semitism.
From the blatant anti-Semitism propagated by the media in Arab countries surrounding Israel, to the more subtle double standards directed at the State of Israel in international forums, sadly, vilification of Jews is growing again in many manifestations.
While we in Australia do not see its most extreme forms, we need to remain vigilant – both internationally and in our own community – as anti-Semitism can express itself in seemingly innocuous ways.
Subtle instances, such as using the term “Jewish” to describe a businessperson in media reporting on a commercial dispute when a similar label such as “Irish” or “Italian” would never be used, should be challenged.
While perhaps not intentionally, this adds to the myth of Jewish people as somehow separate within our own community and this oldest of slurs has underpinned some of the worst events in human history.
However, most significant in recent years is the campaign directed against Israel. It is important to note that legitimate criticism of Israel is not a matter of concern – and the final communiqué of the Ottawa conference reaffirmed this principle – but the demonisation of the Jewish State is dangerous and yet another attempt to define an “other” in our own communities.
In my mind, most offensive of all is the delegitimisation campaign directed at Israel, through slander and attempts to equate it with the racist stain of apartheid South Africa. Sadly, even lies stick, so it is critical that this lie is directly and regularly challenged.
In opening the Ottawa conference, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper made a particularly powerful address, describing this vicious campaign as the “three Ds” – demonisation, double standards and delegitimisation.
He also outlined the new face of anti-Semitism, which we must confront. This face pulls together disparate anti-Semitic, anti-American and anti-western ideologies to attack Jewish people by targeting the Jewish homeland as the source of injustice and conflict in the world, and perversely uses the language of human rights to do so.
Anti-Semitism is a unique form of racism for several reasons. Its longevity, global nature and the horrific consequences of it, illustrated by the Holocaust, are only a few of the reasons.
While it is partly founded on misunderstanding, it is propagated by slander, libels and malicious intent.
It was once underpinned in the West by bastardised science and, for many centuries, the Christian churches, but today we need to understand and accept that radical Islam is reinvigorating it.
It falls upon us as leaders of our community to tackle this directly in all its forms, not simply to turn our backs and hope it goes away – the lessons of history are that it does not.
This poison, if not eliminated, will spread. In my view, particularly those of us who are not Jewish Australians need to speak up. For if we do not, we are, by omission, allowing these slurs to take hold.
The Ottawa conference was an important step forward in global cooperation to not simply issue statements, but to combat anti-Semitism in all its forms.
To be a part of it, however, is only the beginning; the real work remains, addressing it in our own community and around the world.