Senior rabbis from across Australia have issued an extraordinary public demand for the federal government to ban what they describe as “hate-fuelled” anti-Israel demonstrations and to establish a Federal Royal Commission into antisemitism, warning that Jewish communities are facing an unprecedented and escalating threat.

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday, the Rabbinical Association of Australia said antisemitism in Australia has surged over the past two years, with recent weeks marking a “profound and dangerous escalation” disguised as political protest.

The rabbis—who stressed they represent diverse religious streams and differing political views—said that marches held at prominent city landmarks have gone far beyond criticism of Israeli policy, instead openly advocating for the elimination of the Jewish state and violence against Jews worldwide. They cited slogans such as “from the river to the sea” and calls to “globalise the intifada,” noting they are euphemisms for mass violence and extermination.

The rabbis criticize authorities having allowed such demonstrations to proceed “largely unhindered,” while Jewish residents have been advised by police to avoid public areas for their own safety. The rabbis said this amounted to a de facto restriction on Jewish participation in public life rather than on those inciting hatred

“This is not an abstract concern,” the letter states, describing rabbis consoling grieving families, visiting the injured, and supporting children who no longer feel safe walking to school. The rabbis said fear has driven Jews away from universities, civic spaces, and public visibility.

The letter directly linked the deadly Bondi Beach attack to a broader climate of normalised antisemitic hatred, arguing that such violence does not occur in isolation but grows out of sustained incitement that has been tolerated for too long.

In response, the rabbis are calling for two immediate actions: the outlawing of hate-driven marches and the criminalisation of specific slogans they say explicitly encourage violence; and the establishment of a Federal Royal Commission into antisemitism with broad national scope.

They argued that antisemitism today operates across state borders and international networks, including online platforms, extremist ideologies, and funding streams that fall under Commonwealth jurisdiction. A Royal Commission, they said, is the only mechanism capable of providing the independence, transparency, and authority needed to confront the problem.

While acknowledging the government’s internal reviews and departmental processes, the rabbis said those measures lack public confidence and have failed to restore trust within Jewish communities. “Trust has been badly shaken,” the letter states, adding that only openness and accountability can repair it.

The rabbis emphasized that their appeal is not partisan, calling it a moral and ethical obligation rooted in Australia’s foundational values.

They warned that silence in the face of rising hatred amounts to an abdication of responsibility.

The letter was signed by Rabbi Nochum Schapiro, president of the Rabbinical Association of Australasia, along with the organization’s executive leadership, and urges the federal government to act with urgency to protect the safety and dignity of Jewish Australians.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)