J Street is alarmed by and condemns a spate of antisemitic incidents this past week in the US and Australia.
Early this week, the home and property of a Jewish member of the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents was vandalized. He woke to the sound of his windows being smashed and found his wife’s car defaced with the upside-down Hamas triangle.
In Australia, the Jewish community has endured disgraceful acts designed to terrorize and intimidate. Arsonists set fires to a synagogue in Melbourne and a Jewish area of Sydney was sprayed with hateful graffiti. These acts add to a growing list of antisemitic incidents across the world in nations including the US, Britain and Canada.
These hateful acts demand urgent action. J Street advocates for a firm and thoughtful approach to countering antisemitism – one that protects Jewish communities and safeguards space for debate, dialogue and solidarity. We continue to press Congress to lead the way and pass the Countering Antisemitism Act – which is currently moving through the House and Senate with bipartisan support – to put common-sense protections in place.
“It is vital that we call out and combat antisemitism in all forms at home and around the world. In a time when bad actors too often hijack the fight against antisemitism to gain political power and shut down legitimate criticism of Israel, the Countering Antisemitism Act zeroes in on what matters – keeping our communities safe,” Sam Berkman, J Street National Director of Communal Relations, said.
Attacks on Jewish people and institutions in response to the actions and policies of the State of Israel are abhorrent, unjustified and antisemitic – and are entirely counterproductive to achieving freedom and self-determination for Palestinians. Verbal or physical attacks on Arab, Palestinian or Muslim individuals – including “price-tag” attacks in the West Bank – in response to the barbaric October 7 attacks, and other violence committed by terrorist groups, are equally despicable. They do nothing to further Israel’s cause or protect its people.