An Australian parliamentary inquiry into banning Nazi symbols heard from various Jewish community and other minority groups who criticized the government for being decades behind the curve on banning the hate symbols.
The Australian Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, which held a hearing for public consultation as it considered a national ban on Nazi symbols, was also told by Jewish leaders that Nazi symbols are used as online recruitment tools, the Australian Jewish News reported.
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) executive director Colin Rubenstein described that Australia was “decades behind” other nations that long ago banned Nazi symbols, listing Austria, Germany, France and Sweden as examples.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim testified that a federal ban on Nazi symbols is supported by the country’s Jewish community.
“Other measures are clearly needed, especially in the field of education, but legislation is an essential part of any package of measures,” he said.
Breann Fallon of the Sydney Jewish Museum urged the proposed legislation to be expansive, covering new symbols and future hate language, similar to Germany’s law, which bans not only symbols but “slogans and forms of greeting.”
The CEO of the Online Hate Prevention Institute, Andre Oboler, told the hearing that neo-Nazis use Nazi symbols to entice new recruits.
“Those symbols also engage people in Australia who are engaged in a path of radicalization with similar groups overseas,” he said.