Antisemitism is vile but weaponising it for political gain is harmful for Jews

KERRYN PHELPS: Spurious claims divert attention from genuine antisemitism and sell the Jewish community short over other issues it cares deeply about

KIM RUBENSTEIN IS an eminent law professor, author and human rights advocate.  She is running as an independent for election to represent the ACT in the Senate. Yesterday, Kim Rubenstein tweeted a photo of one of her corflutes defaced with appalling antisemitic slurs. The comments on her corflute referenced the Shoah with the addition of yellow stars. Police are investigating.

Rubenstein commented that she found it “hurtful” and went on to say: "We can disagree without harming or belittling each other, and we can have our say without racist, bigoted attacks. We should also be able to make our points without resorting to misinformation and misleading political ads - something we've seen far too much of already this election."                                    

This cowardly act of vandalism is just one example of the use of antisemitism in Federal election campaigns.  In cases like this, the antisemitism is overt and personally directed. Wherever it happens, it should be unequivocally condemned.

In other cases, allegations of antisemitism are weaponised against political opponents.

Support for Israel is a hot button issue for the Jewish diaspora around the world. Shared memories of the horrors of the Holocaust and the rise of global antisemitism heighten the sensitivity of Jewish communities to the importance of Israel’s safety and security.

It is important for voters in the Jewish community to ascertain where candidates stand on these important issues.

However, in Australia, in electorates where there are substantial numbers of Jewish voters, specifically in Wentworth, Goldstein and Kooyong, we have seen a pattern of these sensitivities being exploited, as the same old pro-BDS/anti-Israel allegations have been trotted out against independent candidates.

I was the target of antisemitic and homophobic emails widely distributed during the 2018 and 2019 campaigns.

Paradoxically, I was also subjected to false allegations driven by Dave Sharma’s Liberal Party campaign during the 2018 and 2019 election campaigns in Wentworth, that I was associated with a supporter of the BDS movement. It was hurtful to me and to my campaign.

The same tactic was used against Allegra Spender, Wentworth’s independent candidate in this election, who was tainted by association with the views previously expressed by a volunteer in a Wentworth community group that was supporting Ms Spender.

Ms Spender had gone to significant effort to set the record straight when the Australian newspaper thought they would have another go, this time on their front page.

Zoe Daniel was also forced to defend herself. In her launch speech in the electorate of Goldstein, Daniel said: “Where others may seek to wedge and divide, this campaign has shown the power of unity. The cynical politics of division, hate, fear and disinformation must come to an end. I firmly believe in the right of the Jewish people to a safe and secure homeland in the State of Israel.

“The Jewish people have suffered unimaginable persecution and the Jewish homeland is the practical realisation of that crucial phrase, ‘Never Again’.  As your community-backed, independent candidate, I make you this promise: I will always stand with you. I will always fight to keep you safe.

“Hate speech has no place in Australia. Holocaust denial has no place in Australia. Nor does the co-opting of the trauma of the Jewish community for political gain.’’

These attacks are designed to harm the standing of independent candidates by leveraging the intense protectiveness of the Jewish community for Israel. 

Any hint of ambivalence on support for Israel by a candidate or anyone associated with their campaign is manipulated for political gain.

It is done repeatedly because it is perceived to be politically effective.

But is there another way to view this? Could false or exaggerated allegations of anti-Israel bias and antisemitism have the opposite effect, causing damage to the Jewish community?

The Australia Institute’s Josh Bornstein thinks so. He tweeted: “I need to clarify one thing about the attacks on independents including Jo Dyer & Zoe Daniel, suggesting that they are ‘anti-Semitic’. To invoke a technical legal expression, these attacks are bullshit. Spurious claims of antisemitism are harmful to Jewish people.”

Josh Bornstein’s comments are important. Where claims of antisemitism are spurious, they are bullshit and they are potentially harmful to Jewish people.

They divert attention from the rising threat of genuine antisemitism, as illustrated by the vandalism of Kim Rubenstein’s posters, by hate speech and by threats and acts of violence.

They also underestimate the Jewish community that I know. This is a community that cares deeply about the future we will be leaving for our children and grandchildren.

Many in the community care about climate change, the environment and the future of the planet’s ecosystems. Education of our younger generations from early childhood through to preparing for a trade or profession is a high priority.

The Jewish communities in Australia care about healthcare and affordable high-quality aged care.

Accountability should be a feature of any government, so the establishment of a federal integrity commission needs to be a priority.

Jewish communities care about fiscal discipline and the trillion-dollar federal government debt that will have to be repaid. 

We want as many candidates and Members of Parliament as possible to understand the significance of Israel to the Australian Jewish community.

This should be achieved through respectful conversations, not aggressive and tricky attempts to undermine the reputation of other candidates who have stated their support for Israel and the Jewish community.

Risking alienating supporters of Israel and the Australian Jewish community with false or over-reaching claims of antisemitism or support for BDS to score cheap political points is short-sighted and reckless.

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Federal election 2022: Kim Rubenstein conflates targeted in anti-Semitic attack (Canberra Times)

Photo: ACT independent Senate candidate Kim Rubenstein's corflute defaced with antisemitic graffiti on May 2 (supplied)