Australia Introduces Strict Hate Crime Laws Amid Rising Antisemitism

In response to a surge in antisemitic attacks and growing concerns over hate crimes, Australia has enacted new, stringent laws that include mandatory minimum sentences for a range of terrorism offenses and the public display of hate symbols, CNN reports.

The legislation, passed on Thursday, significantly toughens penalties for hate crimes. Notably, it introduces a minimum six-year prison sentence for terrorism offenses and at least 12 months imprisonment for less severe offenses, such as performing a Nazi salute in public.

The new laws also create specific offenses for threatening force or violence against targeted groups and individuals based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, or ethnicity.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government initially proposed the changes last year, fueled by an increase in antisemitic incidents and growing calls for harsher penalties. While the original proposal did not include mandatory sentencing, a policy Albanese had previously opposed, the government ultimately relented this week under pressure from political opponents who argued that not enough was being done to combat antisemitism.

The inclusion of mandatory sentencing has drawn criticism from legal bodies. The Law Council of Australia expressed its “extreme disappointment.”

The passage of the legislation comes as Australia’s 117,000-strong Jewish community experiences heightened anxiety following a series of antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. These incidents include arson attacks on a childcare center and synagogues, as well as instances of swastikas being painted on buildings and cars.

In late January, authorities announced they had thwarted a potential “mass casualty” attack after discovering a trailer filled with explosives in northwest Sydney. There were “some indications” that the intended targets were within the Jewish community.

State and federal investigators have established special taskforces to make arrests, and Jewish leaders have been demanding more decisive action from government officials.

Authorities are currently investigating more than a dozen “serious allegations” among the over 166 reports of antisemitic attacks received since mid-December, when Special Operation Avalite was launched to address the rising antisemitism.