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An Australian Lesson: Voters Reject Identity Politics and Imported Extremism
Arsonists heavily damaged the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, on Dec. 6, 2024. Photo: Screenshot
In the lead-up to Australia’s 2025 federal election on May 21, 2025, the Jewish community harbored cautious optimism. Many hoped that the electorate would deliver a rebuke to the rising tide of antisemitism and the radicalization of political discourse, particularly from the Greens and certain “Teal” independents. There was a genuine desire for a government that would prioritize social cohesion, reject imported hatreds, and reaffirm Australia’s commitment to its Jewish citizens.
However, the election results delivered a sobering reality. The Australian Labor Party secured a decisive majority, surpassing expectations and eliminating the need for alliances with the Greens or Teal independents. For many in the Jewish community, this outcome was unexpected and deeply concerning. There had been a belief that Australians would reject the divisiveness creeping into politics from the far-left fringes. Instead, the Labor Party’s clear majority sent shockwaves through a community already grappling with rising antisemitism and a volatile international climate.
Labor’s victory was also marred by internal controversies that further unsettled the Jewish community. The abrupt removal of Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, a senior Jewish MP, from the cabinet raised serious questions about the party’s direction. While opinions on Dreyfus’ record are mixed within the community, his departure, alongside that of Ed Husic, the only Muslim cabinet minister, was widely viewed as a ruthless factional play — one that sidelined two prominent figures in favor of internal power deals. These developments have heightened concerns that Labor’s commitment to addressing antisemitism and managing Middle Eastern issues with a policy of balance and sensitivity may falter without clear, principled leadership.
Yet, amid these challenges, there was a glimmer of light. The Greens, long criticized for their embrace of radical rhetoric and their tolerance of antisemitic narratives under the guise of anti-Zionism, suffered a significant electoral blow. The loss of several key seats, including that of leader Adam Bandt, was not just a political defeat but a clear rejection of their extreme positions by the Australian public. For a Jewish community increasingly under siege from fringe activism and imported Middle Eastern conflicts, this was a welcome repudiation of divisive identity politics.
Similarly, the Teal independents — once seen as centrist and pragmatic — faced a reality check. While some retained their seats, their influence diminished, and their ambiguous stances on antisemitism and foreign policy left many Jewish voters wary. The failure of certain Teal MPs to unequivocally condemn antisemitic incidents or to articulate clear, principled positions on Israel contributed to a growing disillusionment among voters, who had once viewed them as a moderate alternative.
The 2025 election has thus served as both a wake-up call and a complex lesson for the Jewish community. While the diminished influence of the Greens and Teals offers some reassurance, the Labor majority — and the internal shifts within its leadership — raise new concerns. This outcome has reinforced the need for vigilance and proactive engagement. It is not enough to hope for political parties to “get it right” on their own. Sustained advocacy, education, and a unified voice are essential to ensure that the fight against antisemitism and the defense of democratic values remain central to Australia’s political discourse.
Ultimately, while the election results were not what many in the Jewish community had hoped for, they revealed important fault lines — and opportunities. The electorate’s rejection of extremism signals that Australians are not prepared to embrace the imported hatreds and ideological purity tests that have plagued other Western democracies. There remains a strong foundation of support for pluralism, social cohesion, and common-sense governance.
Australia’s experience is a valuable example for other Western democracies: voters will tolerate diversity of opinion, but not the politics of division and hate. For the Jewish community, and indeed for all Australians, the path forward is clear — stay engaged, stay vigilant, and never assume that the moral clarity of the majority will prevail without effort.
Michael Gencher is the Executive Director of StandWithUs Australia, an international education organisation that supports Israel and fights antisemitism.
The post An Australian Lesson: Voters Reject Identity Politics and Imported Extremism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.