Albanese’s UN Ambitions: Australian Jews Uneasy

As Prime Minister Albanese Pursues a UN Seat, Australian Jews Question Where They Stand

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s latest international ambition comes at a particularly difficult time for Australia’s Jewish community. His government has launched its campaign for a seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2029 and 2030, reviving concerns about the country’s increasingly strained relationship with Israel and raising questions about how that relationship might be affected by Australia’s pursuit of international influence.

Since October 7, Australian Jews have faced unprecedented levels of antisemitism, leaving many feeling increasingly unsafe and abandoned by those entrusted to protect them. Against this backdrop, Albanese’s Security Council ambitions have added to existing concerns about the direction of Australian foreign policy and whether Israel will remain a priority as Canberra seeks international support.

In September 2025, Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state, joining Britain and Canada in what the government described as a coordinated effort to advance a two-state solution. The decision deeply troubled many within the Jewish community, particularly given the aftermath of October 7 and the absence of a negotiated peace agreement. The government maintained that recognition would help create momentum towards peace, while critics questioned what had actually been achieved and whether the decision had diminished the incentive for a negotiated settlement.

Now, exactly one year later, Albanese is seeking international support for Australia’s Security Council campaign. Australia requires a two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly, meaning it must cultivate relationships across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including with governments that have consistently opposed Israel in international forums. For Australian Jews, the concern is whether the pursuit of those votes will further influence a foreign policy that many already believe has shifted away from Israel.

Australia played an important role in Israel’s establishment. In 1947, Australian foreign minister H. V. Evatt chaired the UN committee that considered the partition of British Mandatory Palestine. Australia subsequently voted in favour of partition, helping pave the way for Israel’s independence. That history has long been a source of pride within the Australian Jewish community, making the deterioration in relations between Canberra and Jerusalem particularly troubling for those who regard the friendship as an important part of Australia’s international identity.

The Albanese government continues to condemn antisemitism and affirm Israel’s right to exist. Yet its recognition of Palestinian statehood and increasingly critical approach towards Israeli government policies have contributed to diplomatic tensions and growing unease among Australian Jews. The Security Council campaign introduces another dimension to those concerns. Will Australia oppose resolutions that unfairly single out Israel, even if doing so creates friction with governments whose support it needs? Will it challenge antisemitism within international institutions and defend Israel’s security when doing so comes at a diplomatic cost?

These questions carry particular weight given what Australian Jews have experienced since October 7. Many feel that their concerns have been dismissed, their fears minimised and their connection to Israel treated as something they must constantly defend or explain. There is growing exhaustion with political statements condemning antisemitism when the lived experience of Jewish Australians tells a very different story. For those who already feel that their government has failed to respond adequately to antisemitism at home, uncertainty about Australia’s relationship with Israel adds to an already difficult period.

Australian Jews do not share identical political views, nor do they agree with every decision made by Israel’s government. Criticism of Israeli policy is not inherently antisemitic, and Australia has legitimate national interests to pursue through international diplomacy. Nevertheless, many Australian Jews distinguish between disagreeing with an ally and allowing a longstanding relationship to deteriorate. Their concern is that Canberra increasingly appears more comfortable criticising Israel internationally than defending the relationship when it becomes diplomatically inconvenient.

A Security Council seat would give Australia a greater role in decisions concerning Middle Eastern security, including resolutions affecting Israel and the Palestinians. It would also place Canberra in situations where its stated commitment to Israel’s security could conflict with the diplomatic priorities of other Security Council members. For Jewish communities internationally, Australia’s experience reflects broader concerns about the direction of Western foreign policy towards Israel and the consequences for Jewish communities already confronting rising antisemitism.

For Australian Jews, however, this is considerably more personal. It is about trust in a government at a time when that trust is already under considerable strain. As Albanese pursues greater influence at the United Nations, many are questioning whether Australia’s longstanding friendship with Israel will remain a priority and whether the Prime Minister fully appreciates how much confidence his government has already lost among those who once believed that friendship could be taken for granted.