The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network calls for the immediate repeal of the oppressive, anti-democratic measures rushed through the federal and NSW parliaments in response to the Dural caravan and 14 other so-called antisemitic attacks – cases that the Australian Federal Police have admitted were “criminal con jobs” with no connection to religious or racial hatred.
Instead of waiting for investigations to be completed and the truth to emerge, politicians – including the Prime Minister, Opposition leader, and NSW Premier – media outlets, and pro-Israel organisations rushed to politically motivated conclusions, implying connections between these fabricated incidents and the movement for justice for Palestine, as well as those protesting Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
This was despite the Australian Federal Police publicly airing their suspicions that “overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes.”
This smear campaign, driven by anti-Palestinian racism at the highest levels, used unfounded accusations to tarnish a legitimate, peaceful movement for justice and human rights.
Among the measures rushed into new hate crimes law, the federal government capitulated to pressure from the federal Opposition to introduce mandatory sentencing of one to six years for certain offences, despite Labor’s own national platform opposing such measures on the grounds that they do not reduce crime, undermine judicial independence, lead to unjust outcomes, and are often discriminatory.
This glaring hypocrisy exposes the real purpose of these laws: the criminalisation and silencing of the movement for justice for Palestine.
The government knew – or should have known – it was being manipulated, yet chose to act in a way that stoked hysteria and targeted our communities.
Now that the truth is out, these draconian laws must be overturned, and all those involved in whipping up hysteria based on these incidents must be held accountable for their actions.
This includes those who actively spread misinformation, incited fear, and unjustly targeted Palestinians and those advocating for justice in Gaza.