Australia has become unrecognisable. My country, my home—now feels foreign. The latest wave of antisemitic attacks has targeted synagogues, homes, cars, and even a childcare centre. Yes, you read that right—a childcare centre was set on fire.
And now we learn that the police Sydney discovered a caravan loaded with explosives, containing a list of Jewish addresses.
It’s not like the government hasn’t put the safety of its own citizens first, which includes Australian Jews, right? Oh, wait. Actually, I wouldn’t blame you if you thought otherwise. After all, since October 7, the Australian government has opened its doors and granted more visas to refugees from Gaza than any other country in the world. But surely, they conducted proper face-to-face interviews to ensure they weren’t inadvertently importing supporters of Hamas, right? Oh wait—turns out, for some, they didn’t. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has made that clear.
In our grand attempt to virtue-signal to the world about how peaceful, kind, and tolerant we are, we’ve somehow managed to make our streets less peaceful, less kind, and far less tolerant.
Is it really shocking that the country who issued the most visas to refugees from Gaza is now the stage for the most brazen antisemitic attacks? But hey, great job, government—who could’ve seen this coming?
To put this into perspective: since October 7, 2023, according to available data, the United Kingdom — with a population of over 67 million — has issued just 38 visas to Gazans. Meanwhile, Australia, with a population of only about 27 million, has issued nearly 3,000, so far.
Am I anti-immigration? Of course not. Like most Australians, I’m the descendant of immigrants, and I’m deeply grateful for what this country has given me, my family, and my community. But does that mean I have to support the government rolling out the welcome mat for improperly vetted migrants from a place that still holds hostages from multiple nations? Sorry, I don’t think so. This isn’t about prejudice — it’s about common sense and ensuring the safety of all Australians.
Take the recent attacks, for example. The childcare centre that was targeted wasn’t even a “Jewish” childcare centre — it just happened to be in a Jewish area. Non-Jews were impacted just as much, if not more. The same is true of many of the arson attacks. Jewish Australians and their non-Jewish neighbours are now living in constant fear. Their homes, cars, synagogues, childcare centres, and communities are under attack. Every morning, many wake up wondering, “What’s next?” Or worse — if they’ll be next.
A poll conducted by PCPSR around the time Australia started handing out visas to Gazans showed the majority supported the October 7 atrocities. So, can anyone, with a straight face, honestly say they would be shocked if some of these new arrivals share those same beliefs? Or worse, that some might even be involved? Sorry, but my logical brain is working here. This isn’t intolerance; it’s just plain old common sense.
This is not the Australia I grew up in. And I refuse to believe — or maybe I simply don’t want to believe — that these acts of pure hatred are the work of my fellow, decent, long-standing Australians. No, this feels different. It begs the question: is the government, in its apparent reckless virtue-signalling, actually importing terror?
And even if I’m dead wrong — if none of these refugees are linked to these attacks, which, sure, could be the case — should a responsible government really be issuing thousands of visas, some insufficiently vetted, potentially fuelling domestic unrest? Is it worth the gamble? Are the safety and well-being of all Australians—including Jewish Australians, who, let’s not forget, are Australians too—truly the priority here? Would such actions only deepen the fear of already terrified Australians, especially Jewish ones? I think we both know the answer.
To the government’s credit, they seem to be taking these attacks more seriously now. But I hate to say it — this may be a case of too little, too late. The train’s already left the station, and they’ve just found their ticket. They seem to be a few bucks short and more than a minute late.
