Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism - with Alon Cassuto & Lisa Mittelman
5/11/202641 min
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Five months after the Bondi Beach attack, Australia’s Royal Commission on Antisemitism is hearing testimony about what Jewish life has become since October 7th.
Dan is joined by Alon Cassuto, CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia, and Lisa Mittelman, Director of Public Affairs, to discuss what the hearings have revealed, why the government resisted the commission before finally giving in, and whether this process can lead to real change.
They also examine how anti-Zionism is being used to exclude Jews from progressive spaces, what real solidarity requires from non-Jewish Australians, and why young Australian Jews are asking whether they can still build their futures in Australia.
In this episode:
- Why Australia’s Royal Commission matters
- What the testimonies revealed about Jewish life after October 7th
- Antisemitism from neo-Nazis to progressive spaces
- Why Australia finally agreed to a Royal Commission
- Where anti-Israel rhetoric crosses into antisemitism
- What non-Jewish Australians are still failing to confront
- How Australian Jews are experiencing the commission
- Can young Australian Jews still see a future in Australia?
This episode was sponsored by Hadassah. Please go to Hadassah.org to make a gift that helps Hadassah continue its longstanding, life-changing support for the people in Israel.
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Credits: Ilan Benatar, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDan Senor· Host0:00
[gentle music] Before we continue, I want to take a moment to talk about daily life in Israel right now. One day can seem relatively calm, the next, sirens, rockets, everything changes. So the question isn't just what's happening at this moment, it's whether Israel is ready for what comes next. Hadassah Hospitals in Jerusalem have built that readiness into the foundation of their work and their facilities. When a crisis hits, entire departments move underground in minutes into fortified maternity wards, ICUs, and cancer units. Doctors and nurses continue treating patients in real time, even under fire. But here's the reality: it's not enough. More advanced underground operating rooms are urgently needed so that even in the most extreme conditions, Hadassah's life-changing care continues. Hadassah's working right now to expand these emergency zones because in Israel, preparedness isn't theoretical. It's essential. If you wanna help make sure Israel is ready, go to hadassah.org and support this important work. That's H-A-D-A-S-S-A-H .org, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Speaker 11:11
[gentle music] You are listening to an Arc Media podcast.
Dan· Soundbite1:18
I was lying in bed, sort of putting my ten-year-old daughter to bed at the time, and she says to me, she goes, "Dad, if Israel is not safe and we're not