The attack on December 14 in Sydney, where innocent Jewish individuals were assaulted while peacefully practicing their customs and traditions, was an abhorrent act that must be condemned unequivocally. Violence against people of faith, targeted for their identity, is not only criminal but a direct assault on the values of tolerance and human dignity.
Yet what followed was equally troubling. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chose to cast blame on Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, suggesting negligence in protecting the Jewish community from anti-Semitism. Such accusations, levelled in the wake of tragedy, risk politicizing grief and diverting attention from the deeper causes of hatred.
It is naïve to believe that legislation or public denunciations alone can eradicate anti-Semitism. Hatred is not innate; no one is born an anti-Semite. Prejudice is cultivated, often in response to perceived injustice. To understand why anti-Semitism persists, one must examine the broader context in which resentment festers.
The uncomfortable truth is that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian population over the past 75 years has left deep scars. Images and videos from Gaza—showing devastation, displacement, and the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians—circulate daily across social media. Reports suggest that more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the current conflict, a staggering toll that fuels outrage worldwide. These realities cannot be divorced from the rise in hostility toward Jewish communities abroad.
This is not to excuse violence or hatred. Anti-Semitism is indefensible, and attacks on Jewish communities must be met with justice and solidarity. But if we are serious about ending this cycle, we must acknowledge its roots. The path forward lies not in blame-shifting or symbolic gestures, but in genuine negotiation. Israel must engage with Palestinian leaders to pursue a sustainable peace—one that recognizes the humanity and rights of both peoples.
Without such reconciliation, the violence will continue to breed more violence. The tragedy in Sydney is a grim reminder that unresolved conflicts abroad reverberate far beyond their borders. If peace remains elusive, we risk seeing more innocent lives lost—not only in Gaza or Israel, but in communities around the world.
Hatred thrives in the absence of justice. To confront anti-Semitism meaningfully, we must confront the injustices that fuel it. Only through dialogue, empathy, and a commitment to peace can we hope to break the chain of violence and ensure that future generations inherit a world defined not by division, but by dignity.