Jewish Advocacy Faces Growing Suspicion

In Australia, a Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is examining how the Jewish community’s organized advocacy is often framed as “the Jewish lobby,” sparking suspicion and heightened security concerns. The commission warns that reducing Jewish advocacy to evidence of undue influence fuels antisemitic narratives.

In the United States, Reform Judaism leaders argue that anti‑Zionism within liberal Jewish denominations threatens the sense of Jewish peoplehood. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, speaking at a conference titled “Re‑Charging Reform Judaism,” urged Reform Jews to re‑embrace Zionism and criticised seminaries for ordaining rabbis who oppose Israel, warning that this trend could weaken the connection between American Jews and the broader Jewish world.