Rewarding Extremism Disguised as ‘Resistance’
The slogan “by any means necessary” once had a different life. French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre used it to interrogate the ethical costs of political struggle. Malcolm X famously adopted it to urge African Americans to fight for civil rights. Both saw it as a call for determined action in the face of injustice. But today, the phrase has been stripped of its historical and moral context. It has been repurposed as a justification for violence, terrorism, and a wave of antisemitism that is sweeping across the globe—including Australia.
This is not a theoretical worry. Since October 2023, incidents targeting the Jewish community here have reached record highs. The so-called “March for Humanity” across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, similar demonstrations in Melbourne, and the upcoming “Nationwide March for Palestine” on 24 August are all advertised as inclusive. Yet time and again, these gatherings are co-opted by hard-line elements who use them to glorify violence. Chants of “globalise the Intifada”, “from the river to the sea”, and open praise for “martyrs” normalise the belief that hatred of Jews—anywhere—is a legitimate political tactic.
When extremists invoke “any means necessary” in this context, they are not talking about civil disobedience or peaceful protest. They mean armed assaults, kidnappings, and mass killings. They mean the horrors of 7 October 2023, when Hamas murdered over 1,200 Israelis, slaughtered children in their homes, raped women, and abducted the elderly into Gaza. That is the reality behind their rhetoric.
In this twisted moral logic, antisemitism is recast as activism—hatred reframed as solidarity with Palestinians. The thinking goes: if targeting Jews at home or abroad applies pressure on Israel, then it is a valid part of “the struggle.” This warped justification manifests in graffiti defacing Jewish institutions, orchestrated online abuse campaigns, public veneration of terrorists, and speeches or posts openly calling for violence.
Even more troubling, this distortion is now finding an echo in government policy. Canberra’s decision to back recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly next month marks a break from decades of bipartisan consensus, which held that recognition should come only as part of a negotiated peace involving Israel, the Palestinians, and Arab states. While the announcement nods to conditions such as freeing hostages, disarming Hamas, and normalising relations with Israel, these are relegated to vague aspirations for some future date.
Recognition under current conditions—without defined borders, without a unified governing authority, and without credible commitment to peaceful coexistence—risks sending an unmistakable and dangerous signal: that mass violence, even on the scale of October 7, can deliver tangible political rewards. Such a move diminishes incentives for Palestinian leaders to make the hard compromises necessary for peace, leaves Hamas entrenched and armed, and deeply undermines Israel’s trust in Australia as a reliable ally. To extremists, it will read as proof that their strategy works.
For centuries, antisemitism has been recognised for what it is: an ancient conspiracy theory and form of prejudice that scapegoats Jews for the world’s ills. The ideology hasn’t changed—only the marketing. Today, it is dressed up as righteous anger, with “resistance” used as a fig leaf for bigotry and intimidation.
Australia must reject this moral inversion outright. When violence is excused under the banner of resistance, the boundary between political dissent and racial or religious hatred collapses. That erodes the democratic principles we claim to defend. Legitimate opposition to injustice is rooted in universal human rights; the moment it singles out one people for harm, it ceases to be justice and becomes oppression.
Language matters. Leaders in politics, academia, and civil society must make it clear: “by any means necessary” is not a free pass for terror, nor an excuse to threaten synagogues, schools, or members of the Jewish community. Those who blur that line embolden extremists and legitimise hate.
The fight for justice is never advanced by adopting the methods of injustice. As Australians, we must have the moral clarity and courage to state this plainly—and act accordingly.