Calls to consider jail time as anti-Semitism grows
As Australia deals with anti-Semitic incidents, a specially appointed envoy says all leaders must unite to address the seriousness of the situation.
The harassment and intimidation of the Jewish community must be treated seriously as rising anti-Semitism will have consequences for Australia’s future, an envoy says
An increasing number of anti-Semitic incidents has bred calls for leaders to clamp down and implement harsher measures like mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of attacking synagogues.
Australia’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism in Australia Jillian Segal has agreed and urged premiers, the prime minister and judges to understand the precarity of Australia’s situation.
“We need to make sure, as a community, that we convey to those bringing prosecutions and those assessing the penalties, how serious this is for the future of our country,” she told Sky News on Wednesday.
“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.
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“Those considering the offences are looking at them in isolation, (but) we need to see them as a pattern of behaviour infected within an aggravated factor of hate against the Jewish people.”
The federal government has passed laws to ban the Nazi salute and other hate symbols, while also committing funds to improve the safety and security of Jewish sites and introducing legislation that would criminalise hate speech.
The bill would insert new criminal offences for those who threaten force or violence against groups because of who they are or what they believe, among other changes.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held talks with premiers from Victoria and NSW along with Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Tuesday as counter-terrorism police probe a string of incidents.
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A synagogue in Sydney’s inner west was spray-painted with swastikas and targeted with an alleged arson attempt on Saturday, with anti-Semitic graffiti spray-painted on a house in Queens Park in the city’s east in a separate incident.
A Melbourne synagogue was similarly firebombed in December, with a statement from the prime minister’s office declaring action would be taken to stamp out anti-Semitism.
“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 statement read.
“All three governments committed to regular conversations between leaders and agreed on the value of federal and state police commissioners engaging directly with the community.”
The statement, which is also attributable to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe, said the governments had agree for law enforcement agencies to share information to tackle the crisis.
The federal coalition has called for a meeting of the national cabinet to further address anti-Semitism, with deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley urging for more action.
“This is deeply, deeply disturbing,” she said.
