The Right Is Exploiting the Bondi Massacre to Silence Dissent

The Bondi massacre in Australia was perpetrated by Islamic State supporters. But immediately following the killings, a chorus of right-wing voices began placing the blame on pro-Palestinian slogans, protests, and policies.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the murders on Australia’s recognition of the state of Palestine. Australia’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, claimed there was an obvious link between Bondi and the three hundred thousand people who marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge against the genocide in Gaza. The premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns, said the implications of pro-Palestine protests could be seen in the massacre and banned protests in the state for at least three months. Other states promised to follow suit. Some government-connected trade union leaders echoed calls to end all protests for the foreseeable future.

The federal government announced a Royal Commission into the Bondi attack to appease some of its critics. Its choice of commissioner, however, was condemned by right-wing politicians for having previously ruled that freedom of political communication was an implied constitutional right. The Adelaide Writers Festival has now dropped a Palestinian writer from its lineup, implying some sort of link between Palestinian solidarity and danger. The South Australian premier slanderously supported the move, declaring “I do not support the inclusion of people who actively undermine the cultural safety of others, or celebrate the death of innocent civilians.”

The Jewish Council of Australia has been an active voice of opposition to those linking anti-genocide protests with violence. A growing group of progressive Jewish people who reject the equation of anti-semitism with criticism of Israel, the Jewish Council regularly faces the wrath of the Zionist political establishment and the Murdoch media. Jacobin spoke with Jewish Council representatives Sarah Schwartz and Max Kaiser about the dangers of the current moment.