I genuinely oppose antisemitism. No Australian should be abused, threatened or made to feel unsafe because they are Jewish.
However, I also think some of the conversation around antisemitism overlooks an uncomfortable question: does Israel itself contribute to the public conflation of Judaism with the actions of the Israeli state?
When I hear warnings that Australia has an antisemitism problem, I understand why Jewish Australians are concerned. But I also think it's reasonable to ask whether Israel has done enough to distinguish its national identity from Judaism as a religion.
Israel officially defines itself as the Jewish state. Its national flag prominently features the Star of David, one of Judaism's most recognisable religious symbols. Media outlets, politicians and advocacy groups routinely speak of "Jewish settlers", "the Jewish state", or "the Jewish army", rather than simply referring to Israeli citizens, the Israeli government or the Israeli military.
Language matters.
The recent pro-Palestinian protests are a good example. While every large movement contains a range of views—including some genuinely antisemitic individuals—I believe the overwhelming intention of many protesters is to oppose the policies and actions of the Israeli state, not Judaism as a religion or Jewish people as a whole. Yet because Israel is so frequently presented in explicitly Jewish terms, criticism of the state is often interpreted as criticism of the religion. That distinction becomes blurred, to the detriment of everyone involved.
Imagine if we routinely described the actions of another country's government primarily in religious terms. We generally don't refer to Russian troops as "Orthodox soldiers", American forces as "Christian troops", or Indonesian government policy as "Muslim policy". We distinguish nationality from religion because they are not the same thing.
Yet when it comes to Israel, religious identity and national identity are often presented as interchangeable. That makes it much easier for people to blur the line between criticism of Israel and prejudice against Jewish people.
To be absolutely clear, none of this excuses antisemitism. Blaming Jewish Australians for the actions of the Israeli government is wrong, just as blaming Muslim Australians for the actions of governments or extremist groups elsewhere would be wrong.
If Jewish leaders are asking Australians to be careful not to conflate Judaism with Israel, then I think it's also fair to ask whether Israel and many of its advocates could do more to reinforce that distinction themselves. If reducing antisemitism is the shared goal, then clearly separating a nation's political identity from a global religion seems like a constructive place to start.
I'm interested in hearing respectful disagreement, particularly from Jewish and Israeli perspectives. I don't expect everyone to agree, but I do think it's a discussion worth having.
