Israel’s ambassador to Australia, HILLEL NEWMAN, sets out the shocking signs as evidence that Australia’s antisemitism cannot be excused or hidden as anything but obsessive Jew-hatred. The following are extracts from his column in The Australian (9 July, 2026).
It is sad to say this, but the truth must be said. Throughout my 26-year career as an Israeli diplomat I have never seen such levels of hatred of Israel, and of Jews, as I experience and witness here in Australia.
His Excellency Hillel Newman, Ambassador of Israel to Australia
I served as ambassador in two Muslim countries. Yet I did not see these levels of hatred. The non-radicalised and unpoliticised Muslims understood the issues and showed more understanding than the obsessive herds on the streets of Australia calling for Israel’s annihilation and protesting against Israel’s existence.
What we see on the streets of Australian cities is not legitimate criticism of policy decisions, it is pure antisemitic hatred. Hostility once directed at individual Jews is increasingly transposed on to the collective Jewish national experience – that is, on to the state of Israel. When antisemitism presented itself in the raw appearance of racial hatred, conspiracy theories, Holocaust denial and neo-Nazi manifestations, it became undeniable. So, we now see contemporary antisemitism presenting itself in more socially acceptable ways that allow deniability.
Although one cannot always prove motives, hatred is identifiable. When so-called moral activists chant hate slogans, reveal double standards, display hypocrisy and resort to distorting reality, this is a sign. When they demand conformity, bully those who do not conform, demonise the state of Israel, reduce complex realities to simplistic anti-Israel narratives, this is a sign.
When Israel and Jews become the object of disproportionate hostility, fixation or moral obsession, this is a sign. When Israel is judged by standards applied to no other nation or when Jewish self-determination (Zionism) is considered uniquely illegitimate, this is a sign.
One clear and obvious sign was the demonstration opposite Sydney Opera House only days after the brutal Hamas massacre in Israel. According to reports, demonstrators chanted “Gas the Jews”. This predated Israel’s incursion into Gaza. So, what were they protesting? They were celebrating the slaughter of 1200 Israelis and Jews.
The fact these protests predate Israel’s self-defensive operation in Gaza disproves their dishonest attempts to attribute care for the Gazans as the reason for their protests. They were supporting the killing of Jews. Period.
When people march and chant “From the river to the sea”, they are not expressing legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies. They are not supporting coexistence and a two-state solution. They are calling for the annihilation of the state of Israel. That is a sign.
When they manipulate pictures of Palestinian children stricken with illnesses, falsely portraying them as starved by Israel, neglecting to mention, of course, that these children were treated in Israeli hospitals, then this is a sign.
When people claim to go on a voyage to deliver urgent aid to Gazans but refuse the legal operative channels and fail to carry any significant aid, that is a sign. If people demonstrate against Israel, engaged in a self-defence operation, but neglect to protest against Iran, which butchered more than 40,000 of its own people, or neglect to even mention half a million casualties in Syria, or ignore the butchering of minorities in Syria, or ignore the plight of Palestinians perpetuated in refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria, then one should understand that it is not human care driving them but selective human hatred.
When people promote and support the connection Indigenous Australians have to land, history and ancestry yet deny and refuse to recognise the historic connection between the Jews and the land of Israel, as documented in the Bible, archaeological artifacts and literature, this is a sign.
Andrew : My “dander” was ignited by the broad attack on Australians by the dear Mr Newman..The Vast majority of Australians couldn’t give a stuff about the Semite’s squabbling over historic land ownership. There are much larger protests against Netanyahu and his actions in Tel Aviv-Jaffa than on any Australian street. More than a thousand Israeli activists (some high ranking) in Habima Square on a regular basis .Most Australians and Israelites don’t welcome the religious mob quoting the Bible at them..especially any reference to GODS chosen people..However there are obviously halfwits in the overall make-up any community..be it Gaza -Israel or Australia.. Andrew- there are many reputable and reliable Israeli sources and others – aid workers / Journalist observers including Australian semites with information regarding the dead and maimed in this thousand year battle for land..even the Mongol armies in the 13th century reached Gaza..By the way- i dont get my information from the Hamas lunatics..nor from the Netanyahu Israeli Ambassador with his stupid insults..thank you..!
Andrew : “publish with utmost care list”. Does that mean that you have redacted my earlier contribution with my brief mention of the vicious Zionists murder and then dismembered of my British Army Uncles body in 1948- A senseless murder of a good Semite man trying to protect the innocent- a religious duty. His butchered remains eventually returned to his mother back in Golders Green (London). We have knelt at his grave side..deeply disturbed at his fate .Her other two sons died over Germany (Bomber Command) fighting the Right Wing lunatics. The British Army (my uncle with his language skills) were trying to control the Zionist gangs wholesale killing of villagers. The innocent uncle was investigating the killing at Deir Yassin village of 100 women / children and some old men by Zionist gang types. Andrew – would you care for a list of villagers exterminated by the Zionist gangs. 700 000.Palestinian Semites having their homes of many hundreds of years destroyed or reallocated.. If i have given any information that you feel is Hamas propaganda- in the name of decent debate- give the readers the correct numbers – that’s fair isn’t it..? Do it in the name of Sue Neill-Fraser and all the decent honourable people done over by the mongrel element in society ! Israel and Australia..
Leaving aside everything else in your comment as unrelated to our debate, referring only to your Gaza casualty figures and asking me to correct the record, I point you to a detailed analysis we published two years ago about the Gaza Ministry of Health fake numbers: at https://pursuedemocracy.com/2024/03/18/how-the-gaza-ministry-of-health-fakes-casualty-numbers/
which includes this:
The truth can’t yet be known and probably never will be. The total civilian casualty count is likely to be extremely overstated. Israel estimates that at least 12,000 fighters have been killed. If that number proves to be even reasonably accurate, then the ratio of noncombatant casualties to combatants is remarkably low: at most 1.4 to 1 and perhaps as low as 1 to 1. By historical standards of urban warfare, where combatants are embedded above and below into civilian population centers, this is a remarkable and successful effort to prevent unnecessary loss of life while fighting an implacable enemy that protects itself with civilians.
Andrew: Some (most) of us Australian semites are- one could say “obsessed with the truth”! Maybe not most..? Personally, i can’t get past that Eve sheila and her lust for apples. Most Australians are Aethiest- thank GOD for that..! Maybe thats why the bible promoting Newman hates our guts ?
Most jews of the world dont live in Israel. Most Jews who do reside in Israel are not Zionists.Most jews in Israel don’t like being labelled as Zionists or anti Zionists or wear any other political anti-intellectual badge! Israel is a well educated society and has long been by a vast majority Aethiest..A conservative estimate is that over 45,000. Palestinian semites have died including 18,000 children and the rest of the dead mostly women.. Many many Israelites are not happy about that..but what is the “proper” response to your neighbour firing rockets and children throwing stones..? Especially if this aggravation is comming from lands the Zionists make no secret of being Israeli. The Gaza people (2 million) should be invited to settle in Tasmania . A failed state with bugger all jews..and they can eat as many apples as they want..Fire rockets across Bass Strait ? not bloody likely..! I’d love the call to prayer-wafting over Hobart town…and good people too..! The children the IDF haven’t killed yet- are beautiful ! Unfortunately , some otherwise decent rational Australian citizens react badly to the what seems the unnecessary killing of Jesus’s beloved little children..
Also – you rightly note in reference to Michael Mann “that a discussion as to questions around your “No self respecting scientist” statement wouldn’t get us far, so I’ll ‘pass’ on that one.” It has to be considered that his famed 1998/99 ‘hockey stick’ graph’ showing dramatic rise in warming has been thoroughly debunked and disparaged, so no, I would happily exclude him from the self respecting scientists column!
I’m surprised at you, quoting Hamas propaganda about adult and child deaths in Gaza. As for your ugly smearing “the children the IDF haven’t killed yet” has landed you on my ‘PUBLISH WITH UTMOST CARE’ list.