Speaking Up Against Antisemitism in Australia: A Guide

Speaking Up Against Antisemitism in Australia: The Royal Commission, the Power of the Pen and a Christian Duty

Not every important act of public witness happens on a stage or in front of a camera. Some of it happens at a kitchen table, with a laptop, a cup of tea and a carefully worded letter.

A recent update on The Daily Declaration from John Grimwade of Pen Power Australia describes exactly this kind of work. In one month, the group reports writing around 35 letters and sending nearly 4,000 emails to governments, councils, universities, NGOs, media outlets and festival organisers, all aimed at confronting antisemitism and what it calls double standards.

Their work comes at a deeply painful time for Australia’s Jewish community. This post sets out the context, including the Bondi attack and the Royal Commission, looks at what makes advocacy effective, sorts out some of the definitions and disagreements that complicate this subject, and offers a Christian perspective on why speaking up matters and how to do it well.

The Context: A Wounded Community

On 14 December 2025, a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State took place at Archer Park, Bondi Beach, during a Hanukkah celebration known as “Chanukah by the Sea,” which was attended by about 1,000 people. Fifteen people were killed and around 40 were wounded. It was the first fatal attack targeting Jews in Australia and one of the deadliest mass shootings in the country’s history.

The attack followed more than two years of rising antisemitic incidents in Australia since 7 October 2023, including attacks on synagogues and Jewish institutions, such as the 2024 Melbourne synagogue attack.

The federal government responded by establishing the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion in January 2026, led by former High Court judge Virginia Bell. Its main features:

• Terms of reference. It examines the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society, including the role of religious and ideologically motivated extremism and radicalisation, the circumstances of the Bondi attack, and how agencies shared information. It can also make recommendations on strengthening social cohesion and countering extremism.
• Interim report. Delivered in April 2026, focused on the Bondi attack and agency responses.
• Hearings. According to ABC News, the commission completed 62 hearing days, heard from more than 340 witnesses and received more than 20,000 submissions before its hearings concluded in late August.
• Final report. Due by 14 December 2026, the first anniversary of the attack, though reports indicate the Commissioner has sought a short extension.
• A criminal trial. The surviving attacker has been charged, and the Commission has stated that it will not prejudice that trial.

The Commissioner has said that the Bondi attack came after more than two years of a marked increase in antisemitism throughout Australia. The Commission’s final findings are still to come, and they will carry much more weight than any individual commentary, including this one.

What Pen Power Australia Does

According to Grimwade’s update, the group:

• Writes letters to government bodies, NGOs, councils, universities, media outlets and event organisers about what it sees as antisemitism or double standards.
• Is preparing a large submission to the Royal Commission drawing on its letters.
• Reports several recent “wins”: a telco extending free messaging to people in the war zone to include Israel after a letter; the Sydney Mardi Gras removing an anti-Israel float from its parade; and Adelaide University deciding that its venue was unsuitable for a video-linked talk by Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
• Invites volunteers to research topics, write letters and find email addresses, and operates a WhatsApp channel where letters are posted.

A note on those “wins”: the group attributes them to its letters, but it’s difficult to say what role any single letter played, since organisations often respond to many different pressures at once. It’s also worth noting that some of these outcomes, particularly the exclusion of a float and the cancelling of a speaker’s venue, raise questions about free speech that people of goodwill answer differently. Albanese herself is a contested figure. Critics have accused her of making antisemitic remarks, which she denies, while supporters say she documents human rights violations and that she is being unfairly targeted.

Does Letter-Writing Work?

Advocacy research in several countries has consistently suggested a few things:

• Personal, specific messages carry more weight than mass-produced form letters. Decision-makers often treat large volumes of identical emails as a single signal, while individual letters with a local connection tend to be read more carefully.
• Tone matters. Polite, factual and constructive letters are more likely to be taken seriously than angry ones.
• A clear request helps. Letters that ask for a specific action, such as a statement, a policy change or a meeting, tend to get better results than general expressions of concern.
• Persistence and follow-up count, as does writing to the person with actual decision-making power.
• Evidence strengthens a case. Specific examples with dates, quotes and sources are harder to dismiss than general claims.

Letters aren’t the only tool, but they’re accessible to anyone, and they’ve been part of civic engagement for centuries.

Defining the Problem Without Overreaching

One of the hardest parts of this topic is definition, and it’s where a good deal of heat arises.

Antisemitism is hatred of or discrimination against Jewish people as Jews. That includes classic stereotypes, such as conspiracy theories about Jewish power, blaming Jews collectively for the actions of Israel, and violence against Jewish people or institutions. Australia has formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition, while some scholars and groups prefer alternative definitions such as the Jerusalem Declaration. Disagreement about definitions is real, and it’s often about where to draw the line between criticism of a state and hostility towards a people.

Two mistakes are common, and Christians should avoid both:

1. Treating all criticism of Israel’s government as antisemitism. Governments can be criticised, and many Jewish Israelis and Jewish Australians do so themselves. Treating every critic as a bigot weakens the credibility of genuine complaints.
2. Treating antisemitism as just a political opinion about Israel. Attacks on synagogues, harassment of Jewish students, and tropes about Jews are not political criticism. They are targeted at people because of who they are.

Individual cases often fall in between, and that’s why careful evidence and clear language matter. The wide claims in some campaigning, such as describing entire universities as “deeply antisemitic,” are better supported by specific, documented incidents than by generalisations. The Royal Commission, with its power to compel evidence, is a more reliable place to establish patterns than any single advocacy group’s account.

The Christian Case for Speaking Up

For Christians, this isn’t a peripheral issue. Several biblical and historical threads converge.

Jesus was Jewish. He was born to a Jewish mother, lived as a Jewish teacher in Galilee and Judea, and was crucified under a Roman governor as “the King of the Jews.” The earliest church was a Jewish movement, and Christianity grew from Jewish roots. Paul warns Gentile believers that they don’t support the root, but the root supports them (Romans 11:18).

Scripture commands us to defend the vulnerable. Proverbs 31:8–9 tells us to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, and to defend the rights of the poor and needy. Isaiah 1:17 calls us to seek justice and defend the oppressed. Micah 6:8 asks us to act justly and love mercy.

The Good Samaritan. In Luke 10, Jesus holds up as an example the person who stopped to help a victim of violence when others passed by. Today’s equivalent is someone who doesn’t look away from the targeting of a neighbour.

Esther’s challenge. When Mordecai urges Esther to speak up for her people, he says that perhaps she has come to her position “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). The book of Esther is a story of a threatened Jewish community and the courage of those who spoke.

The church’s own history. Christians must also acknowledge the long record of anti-Jewish teaching and persecution carried out in the name of Christ, from medieval pogroms to the complicity of some churches in the Holocaust. Repentance and solidarity are part of an honest Christian response.

Love of neighbour. Jesus said the second great commandment is to love your neighbour as yourself (Mark 12:31). A Jewish neighbour who is afraid to go to synagogue or wear a symbol of their faith is someone whose fear should concern us.

Grimwade’s group also states a conviction that Israel and the Jewish people have an important role in shaping the future and need support. Christians differ in their theology of Israel, as discussed elsewhere, but one can hold a wide range of views on that question and still agree that antisemitism is evil and must be opposed.

Our Take

Here’s where we’d like to add some commentary.

1. Opposing antisemitism should be a basic Christian reflex.

It shouldn’t depend on one’s politics or one’s theology of Israel. Christians with very different views should be able to agree on this, and stand together on it.

2. Accuracy is a form of love.

The ninth commandment forbids false witness. Advocacy that overstates its case, or that relies on rumour, risks harming the cause and the people it claims to defend. Verified facts, specific examples and careful language are not just tactics. They’re a matter of integrity.

3. Be as concerned about the manner as the message.

Letters and campaigns should be firm but civil. Proverbs 15:1 says a gentle answer turns away wrath. A letter that treats its recipient as an enemy is less likely to change anything.

4. Don’t make Muslim neighbours the target.

The Bondi attack was carried out by people inspired by an extremist ideology, and it was condemned by Muslim leaders and communities in Australia. The Royal Commission is examining extremism, and it’s right to speak plainly about it. But holding an entire faith community responsible for the crimes of extremists is unjust, and it would also harm the cause of social cohesion.

5. Remember Palestinians too.

Caring for Jewish Australians doesn’t require ignoring the suffering of civilians in Gaza and elsewhere, including Palestinian Christians. A mature Christian witness can hold both: standing firmly against hatred of Jews and refusing to dismiss the suffering of others.

6. Combine words with presence.

Letters matter, but so do relationships. Visiting a local synagogue’s open day, checking on a Jewish neighbour or colleague, attending a vigil, or inviting Jewish friends to dinner can mean more than any email.

The Other Side of the Conversation

In fairness, here are perspectives that differ from the update:

• Free speech advocates worry that campaigns to have speakers disinvited, floats removed or events cancelled can chill legitimate debate, and that organisations should be wary of acting on pressure. Others respond that private organisations are entitled to decide what they host, and that hate and incitement aren’t protected speech.
• Critics of advocacy campaigns argue that mass email campaigns can be dismissed as form letters, and that broad claims about whole universities or councils can discredit a cause.
• Palestinian and pro-Palestinian voices say that their criticism of Israeli policy is routinely mislabelled as antisemitism, and that this makes it harder to discuss real human rights concerns.
• Jewish voices themselves differ. Some strongly support campaigns like this, some prefer other approaches, and some are critical of how the term antisemitism is used in political debate.
• Some Christians would add that political advocacy should not become the main way the church engages, and that prayer, hospitality and the gospel remain central.

These views don’t cancel each other out. A careful advocate can take the strongest points from each and adjust their approach.

A Practical Guide to Writing an Effective Letter

If you’d like to take action, here are some steps:

1. Choose a specific issue, such as a particular incident, policy or statement, rather than a general complaint.
2. Check the facts. Use primary sources where possible, and keep a copy of the evidence.
3. Identify the right recipient, meaning the person who can actually make the decision, and address them respectfully.
4. State your concern clearly, in a few short paragraphs, explaining why it matters and how it affects people.
5. Make a specific request, such as a public statement, a review of a policy or a meeting.
6. Keep the tone calm and courteous, and avoid insults, speculation about motives, or sweeping generalisations.
7. Personalise it. Mention your own connection or concern, and avoid copying a template word for word.
8. Follow up if you don’t receive a reply, and keep records.
9. Know when to use other channels. Threats, harassment or violence should be reported to police, and Jewish community organisations, such as the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, track incidents and offer support.
10. Pray. Faith without prayer becomes mere activism.

What to Watch Next

• The Royal Commission’s final report and recommendations, due in mid-December
• How governments respond, including any changes to hate speech and security laws
• The outcome of the criminal trial relating to the Bondi attack
• Whether universities, councils and other institutions change their policies and practices
• How the wider community, including churches, responds to the findings

Questions to Reflect On

• Where have I stayed silent about hatred because speaking up felt awkward or controversial?
• How do I distinguish between criticism of a government and hostility towards a people?
• Do I know any Jewish people personally, and what do I know about their experience?
• What would it look like for my church to stand with Jewish Australians in a practical way?
• Am I as committed to accuracy and gentleness as I am to conviction?

A Short Prayer

Lord, you are the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the Father of our Lord Jesus, born a Jew. We grieve for the lives lost at Bondi and for every Jewish family living in fear. Comfort the wounded and the bereaved, protect your people, and give wisdom to those who investigate and lead. Forgive the church for the times we have been part of the hatred. Make us people who speak truth in love, who stand with the vulnerable, and who seek the peace of every neighbour. Amen.