Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This question is for the Prime Minister. The last summer was one of the hardest in memory for my Jewish community. It was terrorised by antisemitic attacks, including the attack on the Lewis Continental Kitchen. Today, we learned that the Iranian government was behind the Lewis Continental Kitchen attack, the Adass synagogue attack and potentially more. The security concerns of my community are real and justified. Will the government work with the community to keep them safe?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Wentworth for her question and for her constructive engagement on behalf of her community about these issues. I think all Australians have been concerned about the rise in antisemitism and the rise of social division that has occurred. I have visited the synagogue in Bondi Junction and spoken directly with the community. I have visited the Jewish Museum in the member's electorate, where we announced additional funding for an expansion and, indeed, met some wonderful survivors of the Holocaust, who went through their personal experiences as well.

The information that ASIO has determined is quite shocking. This is a serious attack perpetrated essentially on behalf of a foreign government on Australian soil. The intelligence agencies as well as the Australian Federal Police have undertaken this work. They've worked very closely with the Jewish community and with other communities as well. We informed the Jewish community leaders prior to the one o'clock press conference that was held this afternoon as well so that they could watch what the director-general of ASIO, Mr Burgess, in particular, had to say because that was so important. The attack on the Lewis Continental Kitchen occurred on 20 October. There was another attack that we saw on a restaurant in Melbourne in more recent times as well.

People can have different views about the Middle East, and it's absolutely legitimate for people to put forward those views. What is not legitimate is to blame Jewish Australians if they disagree with the policy of the Israeli government or to blame Arab or Muslim Australians for the actions of Hamas or other people. What we need to do is to make sure that we advance peace and security for people in Israel and Palestine. But what we certainly can have control over here is making sure that we don't bring conflict here, that we promote social cohesion. I congratulate the member, because that is something I know she has been undertaking as the local member for Wentworth. We have a range of programs, including the increased security arrangements around schools and around synagogues. That's the increased support that we have put forward. We will continue to have a dialogue with the community and to work with them to ensure that, like other Australians, they feel safe. Every Australian should feel safe.

Yesterday I spoke again with the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, who are here somewhere, as I have every year for a long period of time. They tell stories about harassment on campuses, just like students in the member's area have been impacted because they are easily identifiable because of their school uniform. That is not the Australian way. The Australian way is to respect each other regardless of people's faith and regardless of their origin and to engage in constructive dialogue about issues, not to engage in the sort of activity which we have seen.

We have taken strong action against Iran as a result of this. My government stands by it. I know it's received the support of the opposition and, I'm sure, the member for Wentworth as well. I would hope every member of this parliament supports the strong action we have taken, which is entirely appropriate given the revelations and the findings that the ASIO director-general and the Australian Federal Police have made.