The Divergence of Judaism and Islam. Interdependence, Modernity, and Political Turmoil

(Joyce) #1

104 · Suzanne D. Rutland


in the western and southern suburbs of Sydney where the largest per-
centage reside. This has presented a problem and a challenge to the Jew-
ish community in Sydney.


Jews as Victims


As in other parts of the world, anti-Semitism and racist beliefs have been
part of Australian history. Even though Jews never numbered more than
0.5 percent of the population, anti-Semitic prejudice existed already in
nineteenth-century Australia. However, at no point in time did it take
the form of an “institutionalized” anti-Semitism. Since their arrival in
1788, Jews were never subjected to anti-Jewish laws or regulations, per-
secution, or expulsion, let alone pogroms or murder. Anti-Jewish senti-
ments and campaigns erupted in the late nineteenth century, with the
established press and political leadership opposing the immigration of
unwelcome Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe. Again, before and after
World War II, the fear of a “flood” of Jewish refugees arriving as a result
of Nazi persecution and the Holocaust was expressed. In the early 1980s
there were bombings at the main Jewish social club in Bondi and the Is-
raeli consulate in the city center. However, there was no formal monitor-
ing of the number of anti-Semitic incidents until October 1989. Since that
time, Australian Jewish leader Jeremy Jones has compiled annual reports
documenting incidents, as well as activities of groups and individuals re-
sponsible for purveying anti-Semitism.^26 These incidents include abusive
emails, graffiti such as “Bomb the Jews,” threatening mail and reports of
telephone threats, verbal harassment and abuse, including the bullying
of Jewish children at school by some Muslim children, and actual physi-
cal violence against individuals and institutions. Most such attacks are
anonymous, making it difficult to determine responsibility.
In his introduction to the 2002–2003 anti-Semitism survey, Jones noted
that there were “over 500 reports of anti-Jewish violence, vandalism, ha-
rassment, and intimidation.” He presented a graph showing that since
September 11 the number of incidents has almost doubled, with 63 per-
cent of such attacks occurring in New South Wales.^27
There was another peak of anti-Semitic incidents in 2006 during the
Second Lebanese War. During this period, a Molotov cocktail was thrown
into the Canberra Jewish Center when there were 130 people in the up-
stairs hall. Arson attacks also occurred in unoccupied synagogues, with

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