It became clear in the early days of the war that the reality for Jewish communities in the world was changing. In recent decades, the outbreaks of violence in the Middle East, from the Second Lebanon War and on, through the 2014 and 2021 wars in Gaza, passed relatively quietly as far as those communities were concerned, lending to the notion that the demographic changes in Europe, had little significance as far as Israel was concerned.
But the brief moments of grace, after the massacre of Oct. 7 did not last. It is hard to comprehend how quickly the expression of solidarity, when the blue and white flag was exhibited around the world – changed to displays of the green colors of the Hamas flag, despite the fact that the horrors of the atrocities, filmed by the terrorists themselves, had been spread around the world.
No less critical was the understanding of the dramatic shift in the very lives of Jewish communities. Israel does not need another front in the war, but we must understand the significance of the insane antisemitism that spread worldwide, and the reality that this is a front Israel must assume responsibility for.
Strong Zionist communities have an attachment to Israel
I recently returned from a visit to the Jewish communities in Australia and at the invitation of United Israel Appeal, I visited Sidney, Melbourne and Perth. I first spoke with their members over Zoom two days after the massacre because they had an urgent need to know what had happened and to express their solidarity.
These are strong, Zionist communities who have had a deep connection with Israel, despite their geographical distance and have been doing much to see that their younger generations continue to have a historic bond to the Jewish culture and heritage.
Throughout the war, they, like communities in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Europe, have visited Israel and have taken an active role in rehabilitating the northern and southern parts of the country.
The arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne showed that a line had been crossed in the antisemitism they experience, and especially in Australia which had been considered, until recently, a friend to Israel and a safe place for Jews.
Report of an arson attack on the synagogue in Melbourne
When corresponding with members of the community, to express our solidarity, there was deep concern and an expectation that the Australian authorities assume the responsibility to bring those culpable, to justice.
In recent weeks I heard the same concerns voiced in the Jewish communities in Britain, where extreme acts if antisemitism have also been on the rise, and there too I observed concern over the conduct of authorities.
One woman told me she was a victim of antisemitism herself when her building was painted red and one of the windows to her home was shattered. She appealed to local leaders to ask how it was that law-abiding Jews were living in fear while the outlaws continued to act with confidence and impunity. It is unnerving.
President Issac Herzog was right to reach out to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the Melbourne attack. The messaging of his government has been anti-Israeli and hard to accept for the Jewish community and in its actions, the government of Australia has legitimized the pro-Palestinian violence.
When I returned to Israel, I learned that former minister Ayelet Shaked was denied a visa to Australia because she opposes a 2-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is a dangerous and inexplicable move.
Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin Photo: Noa Fischfeld For the past four years, I have been heading JReady, a platform established by the Jewish Agency, to assist with emergency preparedness, response, and rehabilitation of Jewish communities. Over the years, we've trained hundreds of members of Jewish communities around the world, including in Australia, to deal with emergencies and maintain their resilience.
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We continue even now, in cooperation with the Tel Aviv University, to host courses for communities in Canada who have been experiencing unimaginable difficulties. We must understand that this new reality has a daily impact on the Jewish world.
With this new front, our commitment to our Jewish brothers and sisters must be deep and significant and it is our duty to stand by them with unwavering resolve.