Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to be honored by Zionist movement with Jerusalem Medal

Previous Australian recipients of the Jerusalem Medal include former prime ministers Bob Hawke, Julia Gillard and Scott Morrison, former foreign minister Alexander Downer, Victorian MPs David Southwick and Marsha Thomson, and journalist Greg Sheridan.

Leibler will lament the end of bipartisan support for Israel and the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia following the October 7 attacks at the awards ceremony.

“For the first time since the establishment of the State of Israel, and as Israel and Australia face these challenges, there is deep concern among us that continued bipartisan support for Israel and zero tolerance for anti-Semitism are at risk. »

More than 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel, in which 250 were kidnapped by its militants and taken to Gaza as hostages.

Since Israel launched military action in response to the destruction of Hamas and the return of hostages, Gaza’s health ministry says 43,203 people have been killed in the occupied territory.

Loading

The year-long conflict has resulted in an ongoing humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip and has prompted accusations of war crimes against Hamas and the Israeli government.

The Australian government, which has called for a ceasefire since the conflict began, supports Palestine’s bid for full UN membership but abstained from passing a recent UN resolution demanding Israel withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

In Australia, the social upheaval caused by the war has split universities, arts organizations and media companies, and caused a rift between Jewish philanthropists and the progressive organizations and causes they fund.

The mass doxxing of hundreds of Jews working in the creative industries prompted federal Attorney General Mark Dreyfus to pass a law banning the publication of private, identifying information with malicious intent.

Some protesters at weekly pro-Palestinian rallies held in central Melbourne have shown public support for outlawed terrorist groups Hezbollah and Hamas in recent weeks.

After leaving state parliament, Andrews agreed to lead the Zionist Federation of Australia’s business delegation to Israel and become patron of the newly formed Friends of the Labor Party of Israel. Speaking at the launch of the group, Andrews noted that Israel is the only place in the Middle East that supports trade unionism, equal rights for women and LGBTI diversity.

“I have always supported Israel and the Jewish community,” he said upon joining the group. “I am appalled by the rise in antisemitism in Australia and want the Labor Party to remain true to its values ​​of respect and equality for all Australians.”

The Jerusalem Medal was established in 1990 by the World Zionist Organization, with nominations made by the movement’s national and state federations.