More than a quarter (28%) of Australians believe public attitude toward Jews is either very negative (8%) or slightly negative (20%), according to a recent poll published by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
Collecting data from 1,000 respondents between June 27 and July 1, the poll, published on Tuesday, found that only 24% of Australians believe that the public attitude toward Jews was positive.
One in five respondents aged 18-34 also reported hearing about or witnessing antisemitism in their neighborhood. In New South Wales, it was one in four in the same age category.
Despite identifying widespread antisemitism, the poll found that only 43% of respondents said they would change their vote in favor of councilors who tackled religiously motivated intolerance. Conversely, 42% said that tackling the intolerance wouldn’t impact their vote, and 5% said they were less likely to vote for a councilor who took action to reduce religiously motivated intolerance.
Summit to tackle growing antisemitism
Following the publication of the data, CAM announced that it planned to hold an emergency summit over September 3-5 in the Gold Coast.
CAM anticipates that hundreds of participants will attend the summit, including government officials and mayors, local leaders, city council members, religious and community leaders, diplomats, cultural influencers, and online personalities, educators, artists, and business leaders.
“Australia used to be thought of as a safe haven for Jews, but that image has unfortunately been shattered over the last two years,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa.
“Many national and local authorities were left shocked and surprised by this wave of hate, and we are working with our partners in Australia to provide strategies and the necessary tools to fight hate and antisemitism,” he said.
“I am confident that hundreds of mayors will heed our call and join us to unite in the fight against antisemitism, terrorism, and violence. We will ask them to commit to a unified and firm stance against hate, to take a tougher line on the intolerable incidents happening daily in Australia, and I believe they will all commit to a policy of ‘zero tolerance,’” he added.
Roytman Dratwa concluded, “We believe we can form a coalition against antisemitism and bring about a deep, meaningful, and strategic social change in Australia’s fight against Jew-hatred.
“Australia must return to being the paradise it once was, a place where Jews and all citizens can live freely, safely, and with pride.”