Does the Australian government want to enforce Zionism?
JVL Introduction
Is the Australian government trying to effectively “impose Zionism” with the proposed adoption of the IHRA “working definition of antisemitism”. Alana Lentin is also critical of the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, especially with the Gaza genocide; we feel that that a group of scholars coming together to demolish the IHRA and develop a new definition was significant. Lentin is, indeed critical of definitions altogether and there is, I believe a strong case that definitions further division while avoiding the real issues causing racism.
She notes “81 percent of First Nations had experienced direct or indirect racism at university.” The Australian High Commission report did not conclude that “adopting definitions of racism was a necessary or adequate response to the gravity of its findings”.
Lentin argues adopting the IHRA is not to stop antisemitism but to displace “antisemitism from its European Christian roots and tying it to Arabs and Muslims (Palestinian in the first place) and then to anyone who resists Zionism.”
This article was originally published by Mondoweiss on Thu 6 Aug 2026. Read the original here.
Australia’s plan to adopt definitions of racism amounts to enforcing Zionism
In response to the Bondi Beach attack, there is a push in Australia to adopt definitions of racism, including antisemitism. We must reject this effort because its ultimate goal is to criminalize anti-Zionism and to further settler colonialism.
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