With antisemitic incidents hitting alarming highs, more than 250 leaders from nearly 100 councils gathered in Gold Coast for the first-ever Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, pledging urgent local action to protect Jewish communities and safeguard democracy.
Australia’s fight against antisemitism reached a turning point this week as over 250 local leaders representing nearly 100 councils convened in Gold Coast for the first-ever Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, organized by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and chaired by Mayor Tom Tate.
The summit unfolded against the backdrop of rising hate crimes since October 7: synagogues torched while worshippers were inside, Jewish businesses defaced, and chants of “Gas the Jews” echoing at rallies.
Leaders Warn of Existential Threat
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declared:
“The Australian Jewish community deserves to feel as safe as any Australian. We must do everything within our power to stamp out antisemitism.”
Special Envoy Jillian Segal cautioned that antisemitism was not “creeping in” but “well and truly with us,” calling it an existential threat to democracy.
Sessions included law enforcement briefings, digital threat analysis, testimonies from Holocaust survivors, and case studies from councils already implementing action plans. Mayors drafted strategies to take home, focusing on protecting schools, synagogues, and public spaces.
Global and Local Voices
Speakers included:
- Former PM Julia Gillard
- Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay
- Opposition Leader Sussan Ley
- Olympian and parliamentarian Nova Peris
- Israeli Ambassador Amir Maimon
- Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian, who reminded: “What starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews.”
CAM Advisory Board member Robert Singer urged mayors to use their unique local influence: “You can mobilize police, protect schools and houses of worship, and create public spaces where communities meet rather than retreat.”
Momentum Beyond Australia
The Gold Coast summit joins a series of CAM-led international mayoral summits in Athens, Fort Lauderdale, Dortmund, and Beverly Hills. Upcoming forums are planned for Paris and New Orleans, building a global municipal coalition against antisemitism.
As Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) stressed: “Denial of antisemitism is the foremost obstacle to defeating it.”
Australia’s mayors, armed with new strategies, now face the urgent task of turning pledges into action—to ensure Jewish life remains secure, vibrant, and fully part of the nation’s democratic fabric.
