During the past 16 months, we have seen an appalling increase in anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia, and so we now are witnessing a full-blown assault on those who stand for Palestinian rights, justice and liberation; on our grassroots movement for Palestine; and on freedom of expression.
These acts are part of a deliberate – and at times coordinated – campaign to attempt to intimidate, silence, and marginalise those who speak out about the truth.
In fact, they are part of a global trend, with a new wave of McCarthyite censorship blossoming across countries that claim to prize liberation, equality, justice and free speech.
Yesterday, for example, we heard of the National Gallery of Australia covering the Palestinian flag with white fabric on a tapestry featured in a major exhibition.We have seen the repugnant and divisive “undercover Jew” stunt by the Daily Telegraph, violent attacks on two Muslim women in an Epping shopping centre, the continuation of a year-long campaign of hate and intimidation against academic Randa Abdel-Fattah, attacks on Professor Chelsea Watego and the Carumba Institute for hosting an anti-racism conference, and Creative Australia’s withdrawal of artist Khaled Sabasbi for the 61st Venice Biennale.
Journalist Antoinette Lattouf’s unlawful termination from the ABC and the sacking of cricket commentator Peter Lalor for speaking out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza have revealed how deeply these attacks have penetrated public life.
And how normalised these attacks have become.
These more public acts of racism and hate occur against a backdrop of daily slurs, smears, threats and job losses across our communities.
Anti-Palestinian racist and Islamophobic threats have been scrawled in paint and markers on walls and footpaths, have appeared on social media and in the pages of mainstream media publications, and have been doled out in workplaces, schools, universities and public spaces.
From our streets, to our parliament, there is no place immune to this toxic tide of anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim hate.
It extends beyond individual incidents – it’s a deliberate and systemic assault on the Palestinian solidarity movement, on Palestinians and on Palestine. This is a structural problem in our society.
Just as Israel’s occupation seeks to erase Palestinians from their ancestral lands, efforts here attempt to erase the truth about Palestine, discredit activists, and stifle the spirit of resistance that has long defined the struggle for Palestinian rights.
It is in this context that appeals to “social cohesion” are revealed to be nothing more than thinly veiled tactics of censorship, used to call for dissenting voices to be silenced.
This rhetoric of unity is a sham, serving only to paint solidarity with Palestine and advocacy for justice as threats to the broader community.
The weaponisation of antisemitism has also been used to divert attention from ongoing violence and discrimination against Palestinians, Muslims, First Nations people and other marginalised groups.
Earlier this week we saw graphic footage of an Aboriginal man being violently assaulted by police in Broome. Where is the national outcry? Where are the tangible actions? Why, after 34 years, have the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody still not been implemented?
This distortion towards focusing on antisemitism serves to try to diminish the suffering of these communities, and discourage people from holding Israel and other settler colonisers accountable for their atrocious violations of international law.
The message is painfully clear: if you speak out, if you stand for justice, you will be targeted.
This is not a fringe issue, it is a direct attack on freedom of expression, aiming to intimidate those who challenge the status quo.
We refuse to be silent, and we urge you to stand firm with us.
We also urge you to report anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia and acts of hate you experience or see. Speak up loudly, and support others as they speak up too.
Reporting these incidents is a critical act of resistance, helping to expose systemic violence and build a record that cannot be minimised or erased.
By standing together, we can ensure these attacks are not ignored, and that those responsible are held accountable.
We must create a culture where anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia are no longer normalised or tolerated, and where the sanctity of life and human rights can be upheld without fear of retribution.
We must confront these dangerous forces of repression, and show that we will not back down, no matter how difficult the road ahead.
Find reporting mechanisms, including the Islamophobia Register and our Anti-Palestinian Racism in Schools Register, at https://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au/take-action/responding-to-racism