The Personal Impact of Antisemitism in Australia
Jewish author Michael Gawenda has faced significant personal and professional challenges due to what he describes as “Jew hatred.” His experiences have become a key focus for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, which is examining the spread of antisemitism in Australia. Public sessions are now underway in Sydney, where members of the Jewish community will share their stories.
This inquiry follows the release of an interim report by Commissioner Virginia Bell, who outlined 14 recommendations aimed at strengthening Australia’s counterterrorism measures. Over 5,700 submissions have been received by the commission, which was established shortly after a tragic incident at a Hanukkah event at Archer Park in Bondi on December 14. During this event, 15 people were killed.
In his submission to the inquiry, Mr. Gawenda, a former editor of The Age, discussed his experience with antisemitism following the attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, when over 1,200 people were killed by Hamas. At the time, he was promoting his book My Life as a Jew in Melbourne, but many of his bookstore events were cancelled.
“Bookshops, it seemed, were keen to have me. But after October 7, these were cancelled, mostly on the basis that staff at the bookshops did not feel safe to have a Jewish book featured this way,” he wrote in his submission.
He described the hostility he encountered as something new, stating, “What I experienced at first was not hatred but a sort of hostility towards Jews that I had never experienced before, certainly not in my professional life.”
Professional Setbacks and Personal Losses
Mr. Gawenda also noted that he was excluded from major writers’ festivals, including those in Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide. Despite his book winning a major Jewish literary prize in Australia, it was deemed “not interesting enough or ‘appropriate’” for these events.
The impact of antisemitism extended beyond his professional life. “For me, friendships ended,” he said. “People I mentored did not contact me, not even when the physical attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions were growing, when it was clear that Jew hatred was becoming more pronounced.”
He felt increasingly marginalized, stating, “I had lived my life in the public sphere, as an Australian journalist and editor and later as a journalism educator, but I was being reduced to a Zionist supporter of a genocidal Israel.”
Key Witnesses and Ongoing Hearings
Sheina Gutnick, whose father Reuven Morrison was killed in the Bondi attack, and Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, are set to provide testimony about their experiences with antisemitism during the first day of hearings.
The commission’s hearings are scheduled to continue until May 15, with further sessions planned over the next five months. Some of these sessions may be held behind closed doors to discuss sensitive evidence related to intelligence and national security, as well as material that could affect ongoing criminal proceedings.
Interim Report and Security Concerns
Commissioner Bell’s interim report provided new details about the police presence organized for the Chanukah by the Sea event in the days leading up to the attack. However, no conclusions were drawn about whether the resources allocated were adequate.
The security arrangements for the event and potential failures by authorities to act on intelligence information before the attack are expected to be thoroughly examined in future hearings.
Commissioner Bell has the authority to make urgent recommendations at any time and is scheduled to present her final report by the first anniversary of the terror attack on December 14.
