Senator links government stance to surge in antisemitic attacks

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has accused the federal government of sending "tacit signals" to encourage antisemitic attacks in Australia.

Recent weeks have seen multiple incidents of antisemitic attacks and vandalism, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne.

There have been several incidents of antisemitic graffiti attacks on cars and buildings in Sydney's east, while Australia's largest synagogue was fire-bombed in Melbourne late last year.

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McKenzie told Today the government was "conflicted internally" about its response to the terror attack conducted by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, which saw the militants kill more than 1200 Israelis and kidnap hundreds more as hostages.

Many of the hostages remain in the terror group's hands.

The attack sparked a devastating military response from Israel in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 45,000 people according to local health authorities.

The federal government has consistently condemned Hamas over the attack, but in recent months has broken with Israel and the US in the United Nations to call for a ceasefire.

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McKenzie said there had been a "flow-on impact" in Australia from the government's "conflicted" response.

"You've got, as you mentioned, those antisemitic attacks - terrorist attacks, let's not minimise that," she said.

"We've got Jewish Australian kids being harassed on their way to school and Jewish businesses being targeted."

She accused the government of "wanting to speed up" the recognition of a Palestinian state.

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"That just sends these tacit signals to those in our own community who would seek to do our Jewish community harm, that it's okay," she said.

"And yet we are still to see serious and swift action taken around these appalling antisemitic attacks that are occurring in our suburbs, across our capital cities."

She also accused the government of granting visas to "terrorist sympathisers" from Gaza, though she offered no specific evidence to support that.

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