"Minister Ley urges Opposition Leader Albanese to implement strategy against antisemitism"

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Opposition leader Sussan Ley is calling on the Albanese government to implement “measures that work” following a spate of attacks on the Jewish community over the weekend.

The incident was one of several over the weekend, which included offensive chants outside an Israeli-owned restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD.

Speaking to reporters outside the 150-year-old synagogue on Tuesday, Ley threw the Opposition’s full support behind a 15-point plan by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) to fight antisemitism.

“Hate can never be normalised, can never be excused or explained away,” she told reporters in east Melbourne.

A woman in a white blazer shakes hands with a man wearing a red kippah. They are surrounded by several men.

The Liberal Party leader met with leaders of the Jewish community in east Melbourne following a spate of antisemitic attacks over the weekend. Source: AAP / Con Chronis

“It’s about education. It’s about the governance of our universities. It is about what happens in schools, and it is about social media, and it’s about national security responses,” Ley said.

She was joined by Jewish MP Julian Leeser, Opposition immigration spokesperson Paul Scarr and Victorian senator James Paterson at the synagogue.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced criticism for not visiting the synagogue since the attacks, despite vehemently condemning the incidents.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke visited the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on Sunday, labelling the incident “an attack on Australia”.

In February, the ECAJ recommended the declaration of a national emergency, better coordination between agencies to fight antisemitic terror and improved training for law enforcement.

It calls for the Migration Act to explicitly refuse visas on the grounds of antisemitic conduct, despite the immigration minister having powers to cancel or refuse visas on the grounds of failing the character test.

It also includes a change to the national curriculum to include antisemitism education as well as a public awareness campaign.

Education Minister Jason Clare has hinted at changes to the national curriculum, reiterating that Holocaust education was an important part of the existing school system.

Albanese responds to calls for National Cabinet on antisemitism

Ley continued the Opposition’s calls for the prime minister to convene the National Cabinet, suggesting it should happen on a “regular basis”.

“There are issues around this which require the policing authorities across the different states to come together so we don’t have failures of laws and law enforcement,” she said.

“And we’ve also got issues that we have separately identified in a childcare centre in Melbourne.”

However, speaking 20 minutes before Ley, Albanese said the community doesn’t “want a meeting, they want action”.

The entrance of a synagogue featuring a black double door after it was struck by a firebomb.

There were a number of antisemitic incidents over the weekend in Melbourne, including the attempted arson of a synagogue. Source: AAP / James Ross

Albanese defended almost $60 million in funding to enhance security at Jewish schools and synagogues, stating it had been critical to the arrest of a 34-year-old male in relation to Friday’s attack.

“One of the reasons why this gentleman has been caught so quickly is because the CCTV that was in place there was a direct result of Commonwealth government funding,” he said.

“We will respond to any request constructively. That is what we have done.”

The federal government committed extra funding to the ECAJ to enhance security in December after a fire tore through two of three Adass Israel synagogue buildings in Melbourne’s south.

It is intended to help the Jewish community assess risks and threats, increase security monitoring, and upgrade infrastructure, such as security cameras, lighting, fences, and alarm systems.

It follows a $25 million grant to the ECAJ in October 2023 and the assignment of Jillian Segal as Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism in Australia in 2024 as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to preserve social cohesion in Australia.