Liberal MP Julian Leeser questions the longer term existence of Australian Human Rights Commission | USAEMALL.com

Liberal MP Julian Leeser has delivered a furious attack on the country’s controversial human rights body, saying its “very existence” should be called into question for failing to defend Jewish Australians.

Mr Leeser, a Jewish member of parliament, delivered the shock call in a speech to the Jewish National Fund on Thursday, claiming the agency was “infected” with activists and had “turned a blind eye” to the explosion of racist anti-Semitic attacks on Jewish Australians since the Hamas terror assault on Israel on October 7, 2023.

“The AHRC is flailing and failing,” he said.

“If the AHRC cannot fulfil its purpose, we must question its very existence. It has a budget of $43m and 200 staff, but it has turned a blind eye to Jewish Australians.

“We need to rid the AHRC of the politics and the activists that have infected it.

“And like any other organisation, if the AHRC cannot fulfil its mandate we should be asking whether it remains fit for purpose.”

Mr Leeser said the AHRC had failed to condemn the Sydney Opera House protest – where a crowd of men chanted “where are the Jews” – that happened two days after the October 7 attack

He also said AHRC race discrimination commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman had refused to acknowledge the phrase “from the river to the sea” represented a statement of Jew hatred.

The phrase, often chanted at pro-Palestine rallies, is taken by some to mean the elimination of the state of Israel.

Universities Australia, in its statement on racism from late February, argues calls for the elimination of Israel are anti-Semitic.

“Criticism of the policies and practices of the Israeli government or state is not in and of itself anti-Semitic,” the statement reads.

“However, criticism of Israel can be anti-Semitic when it is grounded in harmful tropes, stereotypes or assumptions and when it calls for the elimination of the state of Israel or all Jews or when it holds Jewish individuals or communities responsible for Israel’s actions.”

The AHRC’s mandate is to monitor Australia’s performance in meeting its international human rights commitments, according to its website.

“We provide advice and recommendations so that these standards are reflected in our national laws, as well as policies and programs developed by government,” the AHRC states.

AHRC president Hugh de Kretser, responding to Mr Leeser’s speech, said the commission had responded in “many ways” to the rise in anti-Semitism.

“In addition to calling out and condemning the sharp rise in antisemitism, the AHRC has been responding in many ways,” he told NewsWire on Friday.

“We provide vital access to justice services for Jewish people affected by racism and racial vilification. We continue to provide expert advice on reforms to tackle racism including on doxxing, the display of Nazi symbols, addressing online hate and misinformation and vilification laws.

“We are conducting a landmark national study on the impact of racism at universities and we recently released our National Anti-Racism Framework which outlines a comprehensive, whole-of-society approach for eliminating racism.

“The Jewish community in Australia, and all communities, must be safe and must feel safe and able to express their identity without prejudice and hatred.”

NewsWire pressed the AHRC on whether it regarded the phrase “from the river to the sea” to be anti-Semitic, but did not receive a response.

Mr Leeser, who represents the NSW seat of Berowra in outer Sydney, warned that Australia’s long inheritance of freedom to live free of fear was at now at risk for Jewish and non-Jewish children.

“I have come to realise the work of our time is to protect Australia from the ravages and extremism that yearns to infect our national life,” he said.

“It’s to protect our children, all our children from the sickness and hatred of anti-Semitism.

“As I say that, I want to affirm that I believe the vast middle of this country wants no truck with those who peddle hatred.”