The Writing on the Wall

It was just yesterday.

A synagogue was nearly set alight. In Melbourne, protesters marched not with messages of peace, but with chants of “Death! Death! IDF!” – their rage echoing through the streets, their faces twisted in hatred.

Some still try to explain this away. “They’re not saying ‘death to Jews,'” they argue. “They mean the army. They’re just angry at Israeli policy.” But that thin veil has now burned away – sometimes literally.

Let us be very clear: there has never been an issue with criticising Israeli policy. Israel, like any democracy, is not above reproach. Critique, discussion, and debate, even strong opposition, are the lifeblood of any healthy society.

But calling for the death of Israel’s army, the Israel Defense Forces, is not critique. It is a call to annihilate the only force that protects over seven million Jews in the world’s most volatile region. The IDF is not a political party. It is a sovereign army, recognised under international law. And calling for its death means exactly what it says: that Jews should be left defenceless, unprotected, and ultimately, dead.

To chant “Death to the IDF” is to move from protest to persecution. It is to demand the dismantling of Jewish self-defence. It is not activism. It is hatred. It is incitement. And it should be treated as a hate crime.

When I wrote my last article on this subject, people pushed back. They said: “They’re not saying death to Jews. They mean the army. They’re angry at Israeli policy.” But now we’ve seen what they mean. Because they shout those same words, “Death! Death!”, while trying to burn down synagogues, while screaming at Jews in kosher restaurants, while marching outside schools. Not IDF bases. Not consulates. Synagogues. Jewish homes. Jewish people.

So no, this is not about policy. It is not about Gaza. It is not about borders. It is about Jews.

This is not anti-Zionism. This is antisemitism in its oldest, purest, ugliest form.

The writing is on the wall. And this time, it’s written in flames.

From the streets of Melbourne to the stages of Glastonbury, where reckless performers like Bob Villeneuve echo slogans that energise mobs, we are watching a coordinated, global rise in hate. Not legitimate protest. Not nuanced debate. But a campaign of fear, targeting Jewish life itself.

And still, institutions remain silent.

Where is the BBC? Quick to condemn nearly every form of injustice, yet conspicuously quiet as Jewish schools, shops, and synagogues are attacked.

Where are the universities, who claim to uphold academic freedom while allowing their campuses to become arenas of intimidation and fear?

Where are the cultural leaders, politicians, and public figures willing to stand up and call this what it is, even when it’s inconvenient?

Some say we must not conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism. But when your so-called protest involves throwing red paint at kosher restaurants, harassing Jewish schoolchildren, defacing synagogues, and calling for “death” while waving terrorist flags, you have forfeited the right to nuance.

Let us say it plainly: the moment your rhetoric targets Jews as Jews, whether in Israel, Melbourne, London, or Paris, it ceases to be anti-Zionism. It becomes antisemitism, full stop.

Jews have always been the canary in the coal mine. And history shows that when antisemitism rises, society itself begins to rot. What starts with Jews never ends with Jews.

Now, strong next steps must follow.

It is no longer enough to issue statements or tweet condemnation. We need action.

In Britain, the government must proscribe every group that glorifies terror. Law enforcement must pursue hate crimes not as minor disturbances, but as national security threats. Broadcasters like the BBC must be held accountable for platforming those who justify violence while remaining silent on actual attacks.

In Australia, where chants for “death” echo on public streets, hate laws must be enforced with clarity and courage. The attempted arson of a synagogue is not protest. It is terrorism. It must be treated accordingly.

Around the world, democratic nations must adopt a single, clear standard: when people chant for death and target Jewish life, whether under the banner of anti-Zionism or not, that is antisemitism. Full stop.

Universities must protect Jewish students. Social media platforms must be compelled to remove hate and incitement. Cultural institutions must draw a red line: if you glorify terror or dehumanise Jews, you do not get a stage.

This is not about silencing criticism of Israel. This is about safeguarding the basic dignity, safety, and humanity of Jewish people everywhere.

We need strong leadership. We need strong laws. And we need the moral strength to say what too many are still afraid to say: this is wrong, and it cannot be allowed to continue.

Because it was just yesterday.

A synagogue, nearly burned. Children walking to Jewish schools, harassed. Kosher restaurants, stormed. And all the while, the chant remains the same: “Death. Death.” Not to governments. Not to policies. But to people.

And if we fail to act now, not tomorrow, not next month, but now, then we will have surrendered the future to those who hate, rather than those who hope. To those who destroy, rather than those who build.

The writing is on the wall.

And history is watching to see whether we’ll read it, or repeat it.