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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

Academic abused for supporting Jewish Australians, royal commission told

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Indigenous academic Marcia Langton testified before the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, detailing abuse she faced for supporting Jewish Australians.
  • Langton reported being called a "zio" by pro-Palestinian movement members and had her car windows smashed.
  • The commission also heard from a Jewish childcare worker about fostering social cohesion by introducing Jewish culture to children in a predominantly non-Jewish center.

Prominent Indigenous academic Marcia Langton has told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion about the abuse she has endured for her support of Jewish Australians. Langton testified on Wednesday that she has been labeled a "zio" by members of the pro-Palestinian movement and has experienced vandalism, including her car windows being smashed.

I've been labelled a zio by the pro-Palestine movement in Melbourne. I've had people pull out of panels that I was listed to speak at … my car's windows were smashed

— Marcia LangtonIndigenous academic Marcia Langton detailing the abuse she has faced for supporting Jewish Australians.

Langton stated that this labeling and abuse have effectively silenced her in public discourse. She expressed that while she is horrified by the events in Gaza, the "foul treatment of Jewish Australians cannot be justified" by actions attributed to Israel. Her testimony focused on the role of education in combating all forms of racism and hate, including antisemitism.

Labelling me as a zio … I'm therefore made voiceless in the debate.

— Marcia LangtonIndigenous academic Marcia Langton on the impact of labels used against her.

The commission also heard from a Jewish Australian woman, identified as AEA, who works to foster social cohesion within her childcare center. The center serves a community where approximately 70% of families are non-Jewish. AEA described how the center introduces children to Jewish culture through sensory experiences inspired by tradition.

Because as much as I might be horrified and oppose what's happening in Gaza … the foul treatment of Jewish Australians cannot be justified by saying that Israel is doing this in Gaza.

— Marcia LangtonIndigenous academic Marcia Langton on the distinction between criticism of Israeli actions and antisemitism.

AEA explained that the aim is to celebrate diversity while highlighting shared values and experiences among children from different cultural backgrounds. She emphasized that the intention is not for non-Jewish children to adopt Jewish practices but rather to foster connection through common values, such as sharing food with family, exemplified by their weekly challah baking activity. A pilot program based on this model is currently under development.

There is no intention for a non-Jewish child to adopt that practice … but what it is is connecting on those shared values

— AEAJewish childcare worker AEA explaining the goal of introducing Jewish culture in her center.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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