Jewish actress Miriam Margolyes says that anti-Semitism is rising in Australia and Israel is to blame.
Ms Margolyes’ comments, which sent “Miriam” trending across Australian Twitter accounts, came in response to a question from an audience member during the ABC’s Q&A program.
Speaking in the wake of the #IllRideWithYou campaign which supported Muslim Australians following the Sydney siege, questioner Erin Gordon asked the show’s panellists why Australian Jews had not seen the same levels of support.
“Who would ride with us, the Australian Jews if we were to travel in particular areas of Sydney and our religious clothing?” she said.
“Anti-Semitic attacks have risen 35 per cent in the past year and physical incidents 200 per cent. Why is there this precedent, yet we have received no widespread support from the general public?”
Ms Margolyes, who was raised in a Jewish household, said it was an uncomfortable truth, but people “don’t like Jews” due to the actions of Israel.
She said the “appalling treatment of the Israelis towards the Palestinian and the settlements that have been built in contravention of the United Nations rulings “ had led to an increase in anti-Semitism.
“We have to just keep fighting about it and demand that we are given the respect that all citizens should enjoy and a sense of safety that all citizens should enjoy,” she said.
Her views were disputed by Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who said he defended Israel’s ability to “secure itself against some very hostile neighbours”.
Mr Frydenberg, also Jewish, said that instead some anti-Semitism was being driven by “hate media”.
“People are being taught very young that Israel is always the source of all bad in that part of the world,” he said.
Their comments follow a number of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia, including the distribution of flyers calling for “White Australia” to “wake up” throughout Sydney.
Anti-Muslim sentiment and widespread racism was also discussed, with panellist Trisha Jha speaking on her discomfort following the Cronulla riots in 2005.
Ms Jha, a policy analyst for the Centre for Independent Studies, said the riots were a good example of where racism comes from.
“That’s fundamentally from hatred,” she said.
“I know that it was something I felt uncomfortable about for many years as being visibly different.
“I think that the kind of fear that [the questioner] was discussing, the kind of fear I have felt is something that only our fellow Australians can kind of smooth away. I think that's something that Australia needs to work on.”
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