“Australia used to be thought of as a safe haven for Jews, but that image has been shattered over the last two years,” said CAM CEO Sacha Roytman Dratwa.
Amid a surge in antisemitic incidents in Australia, a recent survey commissioned by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) has revealed concerning findings about public sentiment toward Jewish people in the country.
The survey, conducted from June 27 to July 1 with 1,000 respondents across Australia, found that fewer than a quarter of respondents held positive views toward Jewish people. Only 9% described their attitude as very positive, while 15% held slightly positive views. In contrast, 28% expressed negative opinions, with 8% saying they had very negative attitudes and 20% holding slightly negative views.
In another survey finding, one in five young Australians aged 18 to 34 reported witnessing or hearing about antisemitic incidents in their area. The situation is particularly severe in New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, where nearly one in four young respondents reported local antisemitic incidents. Similarly, one in five respondents aged 35 to 54 said they had encountered such incidents in their communities.