‘A volcano’: Holocaust survivor shares fears ahead of antisemitism royal commission
A South Australian Holocaust survivor is making a plea ahead of the commission handing down its interim report tomorrow. He describes a “volcano” of hate erupting across the nation.
On the eve of the interim report for the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion being handed down, Holocaust survivor Andrew Steiner OAM is calling for more education and for all religions to work together.
Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell is expected to release the interim report by April 30, while full findings were expected by December 14 – the first anniversary of the Bondi tragedy, where gunmen opened fire on a Jewish celebration in Sydney.
Steiner believed he was personally impacted by a rise of antisemitism in Australia, claiming the nation had changed from being “caring, generous” after a “volcano” of hate based on fabrications and misconceptions.
“It’s a horrendous reality that we did not foresee as likely to happen,” he said.
“People who chose to come to Australia, and of course, particularly Jewish people, to the other side of the world in the knowledge and belief that there was no differentiation and Australia was a very caring, generous, egalitarian society, which it was up until comparatively recently.
“And then, like a volcano, it erupted, and this hate is based on fabrications, misconceptions, deliberate lies, and in numerous instances, just through manipulation, through the internet, brainwashing.”
You might like
Steiner, who planned to make a submission to the commission, also expected the Jewish Community Council of South Australia and the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre would contribute.
“I think as an aftermath to Bondi, it was essential that it was eventually called,” Steiner said.
“Jewish people have been here since the First Fleet arrived. Our contribution to the nation has been and is out of all proportion numerically.
“We never have, nor are we seeking now any special consideration, any special treatment; what we are entitled to is absolute, total liberty and protection – exactly the same as towards every other citizen.”
The royal commission was established by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the Bondi terror attack in December, which claimed the lives of 15 people, the vast majority of whom were Jewish and taking part in a religious event.
Stay informed, daily
A block of initial hearings will be held by the commission in Sydney from May 4 to 15.
The hearings will begin by defining antisemitism and exploring its historical and contemporary contexts.
Lived experiences of antisemitism and its impacts will be heard through the words of Jewish Australians, with public submissions welcomed via the commission’s website.
The commission will also explore metrics for assessing the prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society, including through incident reporting and survey data, with a live stream of the hearings.
It would investigate the nature, prevalence, and drivers of antisemitism in institutions and society, and make recommendations on strengthening social cohesion.
The commission held an opening hearing in February, during which Judge Bell laid out her approach, including treating antisemitism as a blueprint to stamp out prejudice against other minorities.
“I’m mindful that while antisemitism may be the oldest religious and ethnic prejudice, other religions and ethnicities are also subject to prejudice in Australia,” Bell said at the time.
“I trust everyone will appreciate why the focus of this commission will be on tackling antisemitism as a starting point in strengthening our bonds of social cohesion.”
– with AAP
Want to see more stories from InDaily SA in your Google search results?
- Click here to set InDaily SA as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "InDaily SA". That's it.
