Australian Jewish groups expressed differing reactions after Anthony Albanese claimed a historic second term as prime minister on Saturday.
Albanese made a dramatic comeback against once-resurgent conservatives that was powered by voters' concerns about the influence of US President Donald Trump.
Albanese is the first Australian prime minister to win consecutive terms in two decades. He said Australians had voted for fairness and "the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need."
The Australian Electoral Commission website projected the Labor Party, led by Albanese, would win 80 of 150 seats in the House of Representatives, increasing its majority, as 90% of polling places have been counted.
The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) congratulated Albanese on his re-election, and said it looks forward to engaging "constructively with the new government on issues of shared concern."
However, ZFA president Jeremy Leibler noted that the election had taken place against the backdrop of a "deeply painful period for Jewish Australians."
Antisemitism in the country has soared in the last year and a half, following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. In November, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry revealed that there was a 316% increase in antisemitic occurrences in Australia between the periods of October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024.
Alluding to this, Leibler said, "For the first time in history, many Jews in this country felt they had to justify their place in Australian society."
He added that the relationship between the Jewish community and the Albanese Government has strained, and that certain foreign policy decisions and responses to antisemitism have challenged the sense of trust in the government.
While he said ZFA welcomes the pre-election commitments made by the government to increase security funding for the Jewish community, to combat antisemitism, and to support social cohesion, he acknowledged the electoral loss for Liberal candidate Peter Dutton who had expressed "unequivocal support for the Jewish community and for the Australia-Israel relationship."
"We hope this new term provides an opportunity to return to that spirit of principled consensus and bipartisan support," he continued. "The Jewish community will continue to advocate for itself with strength and purpose; defending our values, deepening our partnerships, and contributing to the democratic fabric of this country."
The Australian Jewish Association expressed disappointment in Albanese's win, calling it a "major blow to the Jewish community and many others in Australia."
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said there has been “a lot of anger in the community about the federal government’s handling of what has become an antisemitism crisis."
Some Jewish Australians, however, celebrated the Labor victory, including Mcnamara MP Josh Burns, who was re-elected for another three years.
Three days before the election, Burns's electoral billboard was vandalized with a red Star of David over his face. Burns wrote on Instagram that the graffiti was "reminiscent of the worst times in my community’s history where this symbol has been misappropriated to isolate, harass, intimidate, and mark Jewish people and their property."
He asked, "When Jewish people here at home say that antisemitism has increased in our country, this is what we mean — and we need you to listen to us." Burns added that he wore his Star of David necklace at pre-poll with pride.
Antisemitism in Australia
In recent months, Australian Jews have been the target of multiple antisemitic attacks, including vandalism, threats, harassment, and a spate of arson attempts.
In February, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, said antisemitism is now the “number one priority in terms of threat to life because of the weight of incidents we’re seeing play out in this country."
“Antisemitism and significant antisemitic acts are prominent in our investigation caseload at this point in time,” he continued.
This marked the first time in Australia's history that a form of racism was the number one concern for ASIO, Burgess said.
The rising anti-Jewish sentiment and incidents in the country's capital resulted in the formation of Strike Force Pearl, an ongoing operation investigating antisemitic incidents by NSW police.
