Response to Peter van Onselen: A Divisive and Dangerous Narrative

Peter van Onselen’s recent article calling for the defunding of Islamic organisations is not only inflammatory but also counterproductive to the goal of social cohesion. His argument promotes a dangerous double standard, failing to acknowledge the role that moderate Islamic institutions play in fostering inclusion and countering division.

The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) and similar organisations have spent decades working to strengthen community ties, promote interfaith dialogue, and encourage civic engagement. Defunding these institutions would not contribute to social harmony—instead, it would undermine efforts to build inclusivity and mutual understanding, creating division rather than unity.

Van Onselen’s misrepresentation of the LMA’s statement regarding the Bankstown nurses is deliberate. The statement did not justify or excuse their comments; it explicitly described them as "unacceptable" while exposing double standards in media and political discourse.

Now, to answer his loaded and misleading questions with facts:

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How many Jews are trying to harm Muslims in Australia?

Instances of Jewish individuals physically harming Muslims in Australia are rare, just as incidents of Muslims harming Jews are rare. However, Islamophobic hate crimes—including physical assaults, mosque vandalism, and abuse directed at visibly Muslim Australians—are well-documented.

The primary source of anti-Muslim hate crimes in Australia has been far-right extremists, not Jewish individuals. However, what is rarely examined is the extent to which certain extremist Jewish groups in Australia privately endorse and support Islamophobic rhetoric and policies, even if they do not engage in physical violence.

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How many Rabbis have preached hatred against the Islamic community?

Extremism exists in all communities. Several high-profile rabbis have openly incited violence against Arabs and Muslims, including:

• - Rabbi Dov Lior, former Chief Rabbi of Hebron, stated that "a thousand non-Jewish lives are not worth a Jew’s fingernail" and praised Baruch Goldstein, who massacred 29 Palestinian worshippers in Hebron.

• - Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Chief Rabbi of Safed, called for "carpet bombing" Palestinian areas and led a campaign urging Jews not to rent properties to Arabs.

• - Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, author of The King's Torah, wrote that it is permissible to kill non-Jews, including children, if they are deemed a threat.

• - Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Chief Rabbi of Israel, referred to Arabs as "vipers" and said they "should perish."

Yet, how many Australian Jews support or privately follow these views? That is the real question Van Onselen refuses to ask. While these extreme views may not be openly preached in Australia, they are followed by some within the Jewish community, just as extremist views can exist in any faith.

Why is there no demand for the Jewish community to "do more" to denounce these views when they are quietly accepted by some?

How many mosques have Jews graffitied?

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While there have been numerous attacks on mosques in Australia—including vandalism, arson, and bomb threats—most have been attributed to far-right extremists, not Jewish individuals. However, in Israel and the Occupied Territories, extremist Jewish settler groups have graffitied mosques and churches with racist slogans, including “Death to Arabs”, “Burn down their villages” and words about the Prophet that are to vile to repeat.

Again, the question is not just who is committing the crimes, but why the standard of condemnation is different depending on the perpetrators.

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How many celebrations have the Jewish community organised in response to Israel’s victory over Hamas or Hezbollah?

The issue is again is the double standard applied when Muslim and Jewish demonstrations are scrutinised. There have been public celebrations in Israel following military actions against Palestinians, including:

• - Jerusalem nationalist marches where far-right demonstrators chant "Death to Arabs."

• - Israeli settlers distributing sweets in response to the destruction of Palestinian communities.

• - Far-right activists celebrating airstrikes on Gaza, despite massive civilian casualties.

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While these celebrations may not happen in Australia, the views that drive them undoubtedly exist here. Perhaps Van Onselen could report on how many Australian Jews privately support these far-right settlers. Why is no one asking Australian Jewish leaders to condemn these forms of extremism as vocally as Muslim leaders are expected to? Where is the condemnation of Australian dual citizens rushing off to serve in the IDF and participating in war crimes? And why is there no reporting on the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ)'s call for a government investigation into these returned soldiers for their crimes under international law?  

How many Jewish doctors or nurses have refused to treat Islamic patients or, worse, threatened to kill them?

There have been documented cases globally where Jewish medical professionals have discriminated against or refused to treat Arabs and Muslims, including:

• - In 2023, an Israeli hospital director refused to hire Arab doctors, citing “security concerns.”

• - Far-right Israeli activists have harassed Arab medical staff, questioning their loyalty and calling for their dismissal.

• - Reports in the Shomrim investigative journalism platform detail systemic discrimination against Palestinian patients in Israeli hospitals.

Yet, we do not see calls for collective punishment of Jewish medical professionals—so why is the same standard not applied to Muslims?

Van Onselen's article suggests that Muslim organisations should be defunded based on alleged extremist rhetoric, yet there is no scrutiny on extremist Jewish groups like the Australian Jewish Association (AJA), which actively promotes division and Islamophobic rhetoric.

• - The AJA does not receive government funding, but it regularly invites hate preachers from the US and Israel, many of whom openly call for the displacement, oppression, or exclusion of Muslims.

• - The AJA has promoted conspiracy theories about Australian Muslim organisations and routinely misrepresents the LMA's work.

• - The AJA has never been called upon to disavow the extreme views of some rabbis and Jewish nationalist groups, despite their open advocacy for ethnic cleansing and apartheid policies.

If the government were to apply the same standard, funding should not only be stripped from any group that promotes hate, but they should be deregistered or banned regardless of which community they claim to represent.

If the goal is truly to promote harmony, then defunding organisations that work to build bridges and foster dialogue is reckless. The LMA and others like it are part of the solution—not the problem.

Australia thrives when it embraces inclusivity, not when it surrenders to fear-driven narratives that scapegoat entire communities. The LMA remains committed to social cohesion, interfaith dialogue, and ensuring all Australians—regardless of faith—feel safe and valued.

We will not be silenced by inflammatory rhetoric that seeks to pit communities against each other.

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