The Simon Wiesenthal Center advises “extreme caution” to Jewish people traveling to Australia.
A U.S.-based Jewish human rights organization is cautioning Jewish travelers of all national origins against visiting Australia.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) issued a travel advisory Monday as part of a letter to Kevin Rudd, Australia’s ambassador to the United States. In the letter, Rabbi Cooper writes:
“The Simon Wiesenthal Center is placing a travel advisory on Australia for Jews the world over considering travel to your country to exercise extreme caution. We are not convinced that Jews are safe as the authorities have failed to take necessary measures to protect Jewish communities from increasingly belligerent and violent targeting by Islamists and other extremists.”
He continues, “This latest attack comes within days of Australia voting for a UN resolution demanding Israel revert back to its indefensible pre-1967 War borders. Such a resolution, far from strengthening hopes for peace only emboldens those who seek Israel’s demise, who demean Jewish history, and who hate Judaism, Zionism, and Zionists.”
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
A return to the pre-1967 War borders would effectively end Israeli control of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Australia and 156 other UN member states voted for the resolution, while the United States and seven others opposed it, and seven abstained.
The letter comes a day after Australian law enforcement authorities in Melbourne declared an arson attack on a local synagogue last week was being investigated as an act of terrorism. Separately, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced Monday they would lead a special operation to “investigate threats, violence, and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community and parliamentarians.”
“Unfortunately, in Australia today, those of Jewish ethnicity or religion are being targeted because of who they are. This is a crime. This needs to stop,” remarked AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw.
The AFP investigation is the latest step taken by the Australian government this year to combat antisemitism. In July, the government appointed Jillian Segal AO as the Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia.
“There is no place for violence or hatred of any kind in Australia,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the appointment. “The appointment of Jillian Segal AO is a critical step in easing the tensions that we see playing out here at home, as a result of the devastating conflict in the Middle East.”
The synagogue fire is the third antisemitic attack in Australia this year, according to Reuters. In June, the offices of a Jewish MP were vandalized. Further vandalism of cars tagged with antisemitic graffiti was reported last month in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, an area with a significant Jewish population.
At least one Jewish group in Australia disagreed with the SWC’s assessment of risk to Jewish travelers. Dr. Max Kaiser, with the Jewish Council of Australia, told Fodor’s, “Jewish travelers should not be concerned about visiting Australia. Australia is a very safe country for tourists from all over the world to visit.”
Kaiser suggested that while antisemitism is on the rise in Australia, the SWC travel advisory could have other objectives: “It’s clear from SWC’s letter to Ambassador Rudd that their so-called travel advisory is politically motivated by recent changes in Australia’s voting position at the UN to hold Israel accountable to international law.”
The U.S. State Department currently ranks Australia Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions. The Diplomatic Security Service’s Country Security Report for Australia states that the country’s security risks for crime and safety are low, having assessed terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests, including citizens.
The Security Service also assesses no reports of significant human rights abuses in Australia, including safety concerns for women travelers, LGBTQ+ travelers, travelers with disabilities, or safety concerns based on race, religion, or ethnicity. There are no significant concerns surrounding anti-U.S. sentiment or the rule of law.
