It’s the one form of discrimination that too many are willing to tolerate

October 11, 2026 — 5:00am

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If gay or transgender Australians were being driven out of this country because of the fear of persecution, abuse and violence, there would be community outrage. Rightly so.

If Australians with Asian faces were frightened because they were being threatened in the streets by people angry about Xi Jinping’s brutal disregard for human rights, we would expect justified community fury.

So why are Jews different? Why are they seen by so many as legitimate targets? Why does basic decency not apply to them? And why such apparent indifference from so many leaders?

Increasingly, Jews, many Australian-born, have come to believe this is no longer their country. They feel unwanted, unsafe, abandoned.

Some have left, more are considering it. They feel so unwelcome they would rather move to a city where their priority is the closest air raid shelter rather than the best coffee shop.

There’s evidence. Aliyah is a Hebrew term referring to Jewish people immigrating to Israel. The number of Australians beginning that process has increased 89.7 per cent in a year to 590.

Certainly the aliyah rate has trended upwards, 2024 was also the highest rate in five years. The number of migrants coming the other way – to Australia from Israel – has fluctuated but been reasonably stable for 20 years.

Regardless, Jews who have lived long term in Australia argue the accepting nature of the country is disintegrating. Open discussions about leaving are now common across the community.

And they’re embracing a traditional warning: antisemitism is a light sleeper. Well, on much evidence, it’s awake. And too many non-Jewish Australians........

© The Age