The Agitator, The Organizer, and The Educator: A Rising Threat to Australia’s Jewish Community  

As a proud member of the Melbourne Jewish community, I watch in increasing horror as antisemitism takes hold of Australian society like wildfire. Once upon a time, this country was a safe space — an accepting refuge for Jews who had escaped persecution, for whose families had weathered the unspeakable Marxist horrors of the Holocaust. But the new reality is in motion. We are forced to boost the number and skillset of security guards in our synagogues. Our Jewish schools are treated as a game for vandalism and hate. Our children are being targeted for being Jewish. And in response to this, far too many keep quiet.

This is not some abstract fear; this is real, this is urgent, this is deeply personal. Many of us in our community are quietly considering leaving, making Aliyah to Israel not a matter of choice, but a matter of necessity. Because if we can’t be safe here in Australia, then where can we be safe?

This fear is rooted in the emergence of radical Islamist personalities who have publicly encouraged hate, violence, and denounced Western democracy itself. They benefit from the freedoms and protections in a country like Australia — the very freedoms they seek to destroy. Let me be clear: This is not a critique of Islam itself. Jewish values at their core ask for respect for all faiths. But we must urgently call out the extremists enjoying life in Australia and all the democratic freedom that this country provides. These people leverage their positions to stoke hatred against Jews and Israel. Enough is enough. 

The Agitator: Wissam ‘Abu Ousayd’ Haddad

Wissam “Abu Ousayd” Haddad, a radical preacher based in Sydney, does not pull his punches. When he refers to Jihad, he doesn’t mean a spiritual struggle; he means armed conflict against the infidels of Islam, meaning, among others, Israel and, by extension, all Jews everywhere. His rhetoric is frightening: He has referred to Jews as “the descendants of pigs and monkeys,” incited his followers to engage in violent Jihad and served as an inspiration for men who later became terrorists.

Tentacles of hatred extend from individuals such as Haddad, who gazes out from the pulpit of his Sydney-based Al Madina Dawah Centre here, spewing antisemitism while basking in comforts of a democratic nation that gives him rights he would never enjoy in an extremist theocracy. In a sermon given on Nov. 4, 2024, he quoted an Islamic parable: "Near the end of times, when the Muslims will be waging war against the Jews, the trees will speak. They will say, 'Oh Muslim, there is a yahud (Jew) behind me, come and kill him. "

When questioned about this statement, Haddad persisted: “And if he (Muhammad) said it, it will happen.”

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) previously took legal action against Haddad over antisemitic comments, to which he responded: “They were offended when I said ‘they have their hands in everything,’ but some historians say that’s the reason Hitler went after the Jews during the Holocaust.”

The Organiser: Laura Allam

Laura Allam paints herself as a humanitarian, fundraising for Palestinians and calling for them to be settled in Australia. However, directly behind this carefully curated image, there exists a troubling reality. Allam, who has been accused of orchestrating the violent act, is being charged with kidnapping and assault, after he led a band of men to beat their victim with hammers and stomp on his head. But she’s also one of Australia’s most vocal anti-Israel activists, marching side by side with politicians as she verbally vomits bile at the Jewish state.

It has been reported that Allam, a well-known anti-Israel activist, was arrested some time ago, on charges of allegedly planning the kidnapping and torture of a man because he was employed by a Jewish person. How could a figure charged with such alleged acts be given a platform to stoke anti-Israel sentiment in the name of human rights. Why is Allam's voice being amplified while our community’s cries for safety are being ignored?

The Educator: Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak

War against Israel is not only fought with weapons, but with ideology, with misinformation, with manipulation of the truth. This more insidious form of extremism is embodied by Tasnim Mahmoud Sammak, a PhD candidate at Monash University. She doesn’t call for physical violence, but she does call for economic jihad against the Jewish state. Her organization, Free Palestine Melbourne, promotes boycotts of Israeli products, demonizes any and all manifestations of Israel, and has been a major force in preventing Israeli-owned vessels from docking in Melbourne.

Her rhetoric is artfully constructed to play into the hands of well-meaning but unsophisticated Australians — depicting Israel as the aggressor while ignoring the fact that Hamas and its other Islamist extremist allies wantonly continue to target Israeli civilians. Her activism helps to radicalize young minds ensuring that the next generation will carry the same malignant hatred that has infested the Middle East for decades.

An Increasing Threat to Our Community

These names — Haddad, Allam, Sammak — are merely the tip of the iceberg. Merely a subplot within a much larger voice of escalating hostility, a wave of radicalization directed toward Jews and Israel is swelling across Australia. This continues to go unchecked by the left-wing federal Labor Government with lip service and platitudes serving to insult the Australian Jewish Community rather than alleviating our concerns. The result? Our community lives in fear. Plain and simple. They boycott Jewish businesses. Schools require security. Young Jewish students do not want to wear their Star of David necklaces in public.

Like many of us, myself included, I was raised with the belief that Australia was a land of peace and acceptance. This was a country that welcomed my grandparents, who suffered unimaginable atrocities in the Holocaust, with open arms. But today, that dream feels tenuous. How can we raise Jewish children in a country where their identity is vilified? Swastikas are graffitied on endless walls and buildings. How can we be silent when antisemitism isn’t just muttered with furtive stares in seedy back alleys but bellowed from public podiums?

A Call to Action

We, the Jews of Australia, will not be muzzled. We won’t hide in the shadows or cover up while hate grows in our midst. Australia needs to take a stand — not just for us, but for the very democratic values that this nation so cherishes. We also call for stronger repercussions for hate preachers who radicalize youth and incite violence. Platitudes from our politicians are meaningless and patronizing. We require consequences for all acts of antisemitism when it occurs. We refuse to be silent when our voices deserve to be heard.

Make no mistake — what begins with the Jews never ends with the Jews. The war against Islamic extremism is a war for the soul of Australia and the western civilization we hold so dear. And we will not back down. We continue to find our voice amongst this madness and align with political allies across Australia who proudly support the Jewish State.