From Cologne: I’ve just been to the City Museum in Cologne where the collection attempts to grapple with Germany’s past and its future. Cologne is a predominantly Catholic city, although Christianity is declining while Islam is on the rise. Mosques are being built, but at present the city is focused on its wonderful Christmas markets. People come from all over the world to enjoy what is in my view the very best of Christmas time.
While I have tried not to think too much about the bollards, concrete barriers, and portable barricades that are now necessary in Germany to protect Christmas from terrorists, it was distressing to learn of the mass shooting at Bondi which is unfolding as I write on the train on my way to Nuremberg.
For Jewish people, much of the ground I am covering is no doubt full of sadness, grief, and anger. Never would I have thought that a celebration of Hanukkah at Bondi would reveal the extent of an ancient hatred that has infiltrated my home country.
It is clear that old hatreds have infiltrated Australia, and we let them in.
If only our government had been as dogmatic about protecting our society as it has been about protecting our ecosystem, we might have kept out ancient hatreds in the same way we have kept out rabies.
Instead, we have ended up with an extreme form of liberalism that protects the worst of us instead of those of us who contribute to the common good. Regardless of whether this was a religious or racist attack, it is clearly an attack on Australia’s Jewish people.
The chants of Islamic terrorism have been allowed to run rampant in Australian society and on Australian university campuses. Every single politician and vice chancellor who has allowed this to happen must now be put on notice.
Australia’s so-called elites have allowed an ancient hatred to fester in what was, until a few short years ago, still the bastion of the New World.
We all ought to hang our heads in shame.
We have been soft on crime. We have been soft on Islamic terrorism. We have prioritised individual freedom over collective responsibility. It is not an uncommon story in the West.
At Cologne’s City Museum, a plaque reads:
‘Cologne’s Jewish community has been hit hardest by persecution and ostracism, and far more persistently that any other group. Back in the Middle Ages, Germany’s oldest Jewish community was subjected to violence and displacement. And when they settled in Cologne again in the 19th Century, antisemitic prejudices soon resurfaced.’
Instead of eradicating Islamic terrorism, Cologne has welcomed Islam. Australia adopted a similar approach by trying to appease everyone with antisemitism never to be uttered in the same sentence without the term ‘Islamophobia’. For Cologne:
‘The most splendid of Cologne’s 45 mosques is the central mosque in Ehrenfeld. But its construction and use spark frequent debates. The city’s mayors send a clear signal of unity by ensuring that important holidays such as fast breaking are celebrated jointly with Muslim communities. After all, Islam belongs to Cologne!’
It would seem that Cologne has misplaced its sense of unity. I don’t ever recall Christmas markets requiring barriers to be erected to protect against Jewish attackers.
Australia has taken a similar approach. Endless pro-Palestine protests have been clearly antisemitic, yet the police have been powerless to act as if held back by some institutionalised two-tier idea of justice and freedom. NSW Premier Chris Minns has consistently said all the right things, but his words have been at odds with the Prime Minister and especially Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. And there have been few actions to back up his words.
Current reports indicate that 11 people have been killed by gunmen at Bondi. The American term ‘active shooter’ is now common parlance in Australia. The Albanese government must bear the brunt of responsibility for this hatred being allowed to fester.
We must now act with the same fortitude we would if rabies had arrived on our shores. We must cut out the cancer of antisemitism and threat of Islami terrorism. We must never allow this ancient hatred to grow roots in Australian soil.
I am bewildered that I am on the way to Nuremberg to better understand radicalism, how it manifests, and how it can be defeated, only to learn it is happening at home.
As I write, our Anglican reverend has sent out an email to our congregation calling for prayers for the victims at Bondi. I am in shock that I travelled to the other side of the world to better understand past mistakes, only to have it confirmed that my own country learns nothing from history. This must change now.
My thoughts and prayers are with Australia’s Jewish community at this time.
Dr Michael de Percy @FlaneurPolitiq is the Spectator Australia’s Canberra Press Gallery Correspondent. If you would like to support his writing, or read more of Michael, please visit his website.
