Josh Frydenberg

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

The hate, harassment and violent antisemitism directed at Jewish Australians did not stop with the Bondi massacre.

Online monitoring by The Dor Foundation, which I am honoured to Chair, has identified a sustained campaign of severe abuse targeting witnesses after their testimony to the Royal Commission. It has included death threats, degrading and dehumanising language directed at children and Holocaust denial.

As Dor CEO Tahli Blicblau has said “We wouldn’t tolerate this sort of language or conduct in the physical world, and we shouldn’t tolerate it online where it can reach millions of people.”

In light of this material, I welcome the important statement by Commissioner Virginia Bell:

“We have received reports from a number of witnesses concerning a dramatic increase in online hate messages after they have given evidence. I should indicate that in one instance the matter has been referred to the Australian Federal Police for investigation.

The Commission is keeping a close eye on these instances and recording these offensive social media posts.

Quite what this undiluted level of hatred and bigotry directed towards members of the Jewish community is thought to benefit by those who post these remarks is lost on me.

But the Commission has as one of its principal objects understanding and assessing the lived experience of antisemitism by members of the Jewish community and it is being informed by conduct of this character.”

If anything this continued online abuse reinforces the need for the Royal Commission as we must bring an end to this tsunami of hate and antisemitism that is causing so much damage to our country and its citizens.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Australia has lost one of its bravest, one of its best with the sad passing of Neale Daniher.

Neale was a hero on the field and an even bigger hero off it.

His 13 year fight with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) inspired millions and raised millions to find a cure.

There was no more worthy recipient of The Australian of the Year award.

We will all miss Neale greatly but never forget him.

Sending all my love to Jan, Lauren, Luke, Beck and Ben and to all those who were fortunate enough to know him.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Antisemitism is not a Jewish problem.

It is Australia’s problem.

Alexandra Smith who is not Jewish has written a powerful piece of her personal experience confronting the scourge of antisemitism.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Today the Dor Foundation’s CEO Tahli Blicblau gave evidence to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

Tahli’s message was that we must be proactive not reactive in understanding the drivers of hate so that we can intervene early before it manifests itself in violence.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

The first week of the Royal Commission’s public hearings have come to a close.

So many harrowing stories of antisemitism in Australia.

Patients who can’t go to hospital without fearing mistreatment if they reveal their religion.

Students in public schools who are constantly harassed with Nazi salutes and the glorification of the Bondi attackers as teachers stand by and refuse to intervene.

Small business owners losing their livelihoods as their shops are burnt down.

Adults abused on the street for wearing a Star of David leaving them fearful of going to the local shopping centre and frequenting other public spaces.

Kids threatened on the local bus as their other passengers tell them if they find a Jew they will burn it down while players on the footy field some as young as 7 are being targeted each week with vile abuse such as ‘Hitler should have finished you off’. The situation is so bad the local league appointed an investigator to deal with all the incidents.

And the list goes on and on and on.

The targets are young and old.

The abuse public and in private.

The culprits from every walk of life.

It’s systemic, it’s normalised.

There is a pandemic of hate in our country and our leaders must bring it to an end.

The Royal Commission is the opportunity.

It must not be missed.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Second day of the Royal Commission’s hearing into the scourge of antisemitism.

Schools turned into fortresses.
Armed security.
A daily police presence.

This is Australia today.

This must not be the Australia of tomorrow.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

In the first day of its public hearings the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion heard testimony detailing widespread hate, harassment, intimidation and violence directed towards Australia’s Jewish community.

The culmination of which saw Australia’s deadliest terrorist attack at Bondi.

Now there must be accountability.

Now there there must be action.

No more equivocation from those with responsibility to protect our citizens.

We need courage and moral clarity from the top if we are going to have any hope of confronting this stain on our nation.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

A forum headlined ‘Why It’s Right to Say: Globalise the Intifada’ planned to be held in a City of Sydney Council owned building has been cancelled.

Public pressure prevailed but it should never have come to this.

An event like this is dangerous and it has no place in Australia.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

In the week Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism handed down its interim report, two Jews were targeted and stabbed in North London. Just one of five major antisemitic attacks in the UK in as many weeks.

This interview below in just two minutes sums up how so many people be it in Australia or the UK are feeling right now.

History is repeating itself.

Words of condemnation and comfort won’t do.

Stronger and urgent action is needed if we are to keep all our citizens safe.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“If you stand alongside people who say ‘Globalise the Intifada’ you are calling for terrorism against Jews. People who use that phrase should be prosecuted.“

Prime Minister Albanese and New South Wales Premier Minns do you agree with the words of the UK Prime Minister?

Why is the event headlined ‘Why it’s Right to Say: Globalise the Intifada’ planned to be held in a City of Sydney Council owned building in coming days not being immediately stopped?

It’s time our leaders took stronger action to stop the hate and the violence and fulfil their profound responsibility to protect their own citizens.

Failure to do so makes Australia and Australians less safe.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

The planned event to be held in a City of Sydney Council owned building headlined ‘Why It’s Right to Say: Globalise the Intifada’ should not go ahead.

Governments federal, state and local must take action and intervene.

Failure to do so invites more hate, more harm, more violence. It is not just wrong to chant the slogan ‘globalise the intifada’, it’s reckless, it’s dangerous and it’s unAustralian.

‘Globalise the intifada’ is an explicit call for violence and it’s unthinkable that people in positions of authority who have a profound responsibility to maintain the safety of their citizens could simply standby, shrug their shoulders and let such a festival of hate go ahead.

The Bondi massacre, Australia’s worst ever terrorist incident did not happen in a vacuum. It followed more than two years of escalating attacks in word and deed on Australia’s Jewish community. It was a tragic wake up call for our country and for our leaders who had ignored the warnings.

If this planned event goes ahead it will send a chilling message that nothing has been learnt and little has changed.

Australia and Australians will be less safe as a result.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

A very moving ANZAC Day Dawn Service at St James Park in Hawthorn, honouring the service and the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

Lest we forget.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Sharri Markson’s Sky documentary on the Bondi massacre is powerful, emotional and a must see.

The faces, the names and the stories of the 15 innocent victims of Australia’s deadliest terrorist attack must never be forgotten.

So too we must give thanks for the bravery of the first responders who put their lives on the line that day to save their fellow Australians.

Watch the video 👇

https://t.co/YuyP3kgRv7

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

With the Iran war raging never let it be forgotten the 35,000-80,000 innocent souls murdered only weeks ago by the Islamic Republic.

Their crime was nothing more and nothing less than standing up to the regime.

Thank you to The Australian for sharing their stories and remembering their names.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Thank you to The Age’s John Silvester.

His piece today is a must read.

“The undeniable reality is there has been a dangerous increase in antisemitism, but the real question is why there is antisemitism at all. Why do some people feel it is OK to hate Jews? This will be the fundamental question for the Federal Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell.”

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Happy Australia Day 2026!

A day to celebrate all that we have and all that we are.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Today The Australian’s Paul Kelly details the back story behind the public campaign for a Royal Commission following the Bondi massacre.

In his words “a moral movement, delivered in the voice of authentic Australia.”

“A campaign probably unprecedented in our politics and public culture that saw the mobilisation over three weeks of wide sections of the community in its legal, business, sporting, security, religious and political dimensions that broke the resistance of the Albanese government to the royal commission.”

Read 👇

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

With devastating fires spreading across Victoria and temperatures in the mid 40’s our thoughts today are with all those in harm’s way and particularly the families of those who are unaccounted for.

To all of the brave emergency service personnel who are on the front lines saving lives and livelihoods, thank you for everything you do.

[Josh Frydenberg @JoshFrydenberg]

Twenty five days after the Bondi massacre the Prime Minister has called a Commonwealth Royal Commission. 

I welcome the announcement and thank every Australian who advocated for it.

The Royal Commission is an opportunity to reset, rebuild and repair our nation.

I look forward to contributing to the Commission's work.

A Royal Commission is a vehicle for change but is not a guarantee of change.

To be effective it must shine a light on the darkest of places, expose the individuals, their motivations and the ideology that is driving the hate and provide a roadmap with practical recommendations to take us all forward.

It must be fiercely independent, rigorous, trusted and transparent.

The bar is high. 

The stakes are higher.

Nothing less than reform across society will do.

It is a tragic reality that antisemitism has become normalised in Australia.

It is a cancer that must be rooted out. 

The murder of fifteen innocent people at Bondi Beach did not occur in a vacuum. 

It was a predictable product of negligence and indifference to the rising tide of hate, harassment and violence experienced by the Australian Jewish community since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. 

There must be more education, more deradicalisation, greater law enforcement and better leadership. 

To protect our democracy, we must promote our democracy and the Australian values of tolerance, understanding and a fair go. 

This is not about politics, it has never been about politics.

It is about securing a better future, a brighter future, a safer future for all Australians.

This is why thousands of Australians from all walks of life and from every corner of our nation, joined with the families of the victims and took the unprecedented action to call on the Prime Minister to establish a Royal Commission. 

Now that a Royal Commission into antisemitism and the events leading up to the Bondi massacre has been established, Australians have their first real opportunity to get the answers they deserve and the solutions they need.

We are all heavily invested in making this Royal Commission a success.

The future of our country depends on it.