The Albanese method – Delay, Distract and Pander

The year was 2006 and in Israel, the 2nd Lebanon war raged. In Australia, especially at Sydney University, we fought antisemitism. I was sitting at Shalom College, home of the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, planning how to fight the anti – Israel sentiment sweeping campus. A community leader who had fought the same battle decades earlier shared his thoughts. “Don’t worry too much” he said. “Most of these so-called ‘activists’ never make the jump into real politics, and the ones that do – like Anthony Albanese, never reach real positions of power.”

25 years have passed. Anthony Albanese is prime minister (largely because the way the Labor Party chooses its leader has changed).  For two years, Albanese and his government failed to act as an unprecedented and sustained wave of antisemitism engulfed Australia. Jewish leaders pleaded for action. None came. I hope I am wrong, but my knowledge of Australian politics leads me to believe that even after Bondi, Albanese and his government will delay, distract, pander, and ultimately do nothing of substance.

Anthony Albanese is a political creature. He has spent his professional life in party politics where, sadly, opinion polls, the news cycle and electoral strategy matter more than policy and principles. For Albanese, the electoral math is simple. In Australia, electoral victory is attained by winning the majority of districts in the lower house of parliament. Today, in several swing districts, there is a large, virulently anti-Israel Middle Eastern population. Key ministers also represent these districts in parliament. By contrast, Australia’s Jews are heavily concentrated in safe districts that Albanese either has next to no chance of winning, or that he will not lose to the opposition Liberal Party. Previous, stronger and more principled Australian leaders ignored this and did what was right, but Albanese’s track record speaks volumes.

Of course, Albanese has to appear to be acting. The average Australian is not Antisemitic and despises Antisemitism. This has been the case for two years, and Albanese’s strategy has been consistent – delay after an attack, distract with some form of inquiry, platitude or meaningless act, and then pander to Antisemites by doing nothing. Thus it was when Albanese’s government appointed a commissioner against Antisemitism, with great fanfare received her report, and then proceeded to ignore all recommendations.

The need to act now is obviously greater. Apart from fury over the tragic loss of life in Bondi, the average non-Jewish Australian’s sense of security has been shattered. Not all of Bondi’s victims were Jewish, and the attack happened at the most iconic of Sydney attractions. So Albanese has set about announcing changes to Australia’s gun laws. This will buy time, likely lead to a protracted debate with groups representing rural Australians, and ultimately achieve nothing.  Australia’s gun laws are already extremely strict, and according to most reports, the proposed changes would not have stopped the Bondi attackers having guns.  Meanwhile, real action like acting against hate preachers, tackling extreme anti – Israel activists, tougher minimum sentencing and zero tolerance for racist graffiti and vandalism – policies that could make a difference, but which could harm Albanese politically will be ignored.

Sadly, if I am right,  Australian Jews will pay the price of cynical politics.