06/07/2025
In a landmark ruling, the Federal Court of Australia has affirmed that opposing Zionism and criticising the actions of the Israeli state is not the same as antisemitism.
This ruling is a win for pro-Palestinian voices in Australia who have long been silenced or smeared as antisemitic for simply calling out Israel’s human rights abuses. The court’s clarification means that Australians can continue to speak up against apartheid, occupation, and genocide without being wrongly branded as racist. It reinforces the right to stand in solidarity with Palestinians; a right rooted in justice, not hate.
Justice Stewart explained: “Political criticism of Israel, however inflammatory or adversarial, is not by its nature criticism of Jews in general or based on Jewish racial or ethnic identity… The conclusion that it is not antisemitic to criticise Israel is the corollary of the conclusion that to blame Jews for the actions of Israel is antisemitic; the one flows from the other.”
