The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) invites workers, youth and WSWS readers to an online meeting to examine the political significance of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, which is being exploited to implement a raft of anti-democratic measures that will inevitably be used against the working class.
WHEN: Sunday, January 11, 2 p.m. AEDT
WHERE: Online public meeting—register here
The SEP has condemned the killing of 15 civilians at a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach on December 14 to mark the start of Hanukkah. The Jewish people are not responsible for the crimes of the Israeli government and US imperialism in Gaza and the Middle East. Many have joined protests in Australia and internationally in opposition to the genocide of Palestinians.
Sajid Akram and his son Naveed who together carried out the terrorist attack were motivated by the Islamist, extremist ideology of Islamic State—a reactionary communal response to the wars and illegal military occupations carried out by US imperialism and its allies over decades in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa.
Many unanswered questions surround the terrorist attack itself, including how the police and intelligence agencies allowed it to take place. But the Bondi shootings have been immediately seized on by Labor governments, state and federal, the establishment media and Zionist organisations to dramatically escalate the suppression of any opposition to the Gaza genocide and to boost the powers and strength of the police and intelligence agencies.
This far right campaign is based on the big lie that equates the fascistic Zionist regime in Israel with Jewish people around the world, and thus brands any opposition to its crimes as “antisemitism.” Perversely, the ideology of Islamic State that motivated the Bondi shooters is based on an inversion of the same lie—that all Jews are Zionists and therefore responsible for the slaughter in Gaza.
The NSW Labor government of Premier Chris Minns has rammed through unprecedented legislation banning all protests throughout the state, particularly those against the Gaza genocide. That ban is now in effect. Police patrolling crowds during the New Year celebrations are to be armed with high-power rifles. In a fundamental breach of longstanding protocol Minns is in discussion with the army to put troops on the streets on the pretext of supposedly guarding Jewish synagogues, schools and other institutions.
At the federal level, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is preparing even tougher “hate speech” laws to outlaw parties and organisations and bar “hate preachers” from entering the country. In the name of stamping out antisemitism, his government is organising a purge of schools, universities, cultural bodies and other institutions of anti-genocide opposition and the implementation of indoctrination based on Zionist propaganda.
These measures have far-reaching implications for workers and youth. The widening war in the Middle East by Israel, US imperialism and its allies is an integral part of an unfolding world war—already underway in Ukraine, now targeting Venezuela and above all directed against China. The costs of war in blood and money will be imposed on the working class. The anti-democratic measures being implemented in Australia on the pretext of combatting antisemitism will be expanded and used to suppress any and all opposition to war and class war at home.
The reckless plunge towards war stems from the irresolvable crisis of global capitalism. The defence of fundamental democratic rights is completely bound up with the struggle for a socialist future by the international working class against war and for its essential social rights. That is the perspective for which the Socialist Equality Party fights and that will be elaborated and discussed at the public meeting.
WHEN: Sunday, January 11, 2 p.m. AEDT
WHERE: Online public meeting—register here
Register now to take part in this critical discussion.