His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia has condemned the surge in anti-Semitic incidents across Australia, urging an end to the “normalisation of hatred.”
His statement in The Australian, combined with that of Sydney-based Catholic and Anglican archbishops, follows a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
In a joint call to reject the use of Israel’s military actions as a justification for attacking Jewish Australians, Archbishops Anthony Fisher, Kanishka Raffel and Makarios Griniezakis expressed concern over the increasing anti-Semitic violence.
“Some have sought to justify anti-Semitic behaviour by referencing the actions of the state of Israel in its war against Hamas, but such a moral calculus is seriously misguided,” the archbishops said.
“There is no logic to attacking Jewish people in Australia as a means of ‘resisting’ the actions of another nation’s military.”
The statement comes as recent incidents, including the vandalism of cars and synagogues in Sydney, have sparked outrage. Last month, a synagogue in Melbourne was set on fire by arsonists in an attack currently under investigation as a possible terrorist act.
The archbishops warned that this escalation posed a dangerous threat to society as a whole, citing how dehumanisation can quickly lead to violence, even genocide.
They called for a renewed commitment to protecting the dignity of all people, regardless of race or religion, emphasising the importance of rejecting hatred and discrimination.
“Each generation must renew this commitment and do all they can to make sure hatred never becomes normalised,” they added, urging Australians to live by the teachings of love and compassion.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has spoken out against anti-Semitic violence, stressed the need for action, not just meetings, to tackle the crisis.
“Australians want action,” he said, referring to the recent hate crimes, including the firebombing of Jewish leader Alex Ryvchin’s home.
NSW Premier Chris Minns also expressed concerns, promising to strengthen hate-speech laws to combat anti-Semitic acts.
The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas offers a glimmer of hope for peace in the Middle East, but the ongoing rise in anti-Semitism in Australia underscores the importance of societal vigilance against hate.
Source: The Australian.
