Yesterday afternoon, I was standing on the sideline at my child’s sports practice, doing what parents do. Watching. Chatting. Half following the training, half listening to the conversations around me.
Before long, the talk turned to petrol prices and supply. Nothing unusual. Just the sort of conversation Australians are having every day.
And then it happened.
One parent piped up and said, “Well, it’s the fault of America.” Then came the rest, words I wish I could say shocked me: “America and the Jews’ fault that we have this problem of petrol availability and prices because of the war that they have dragged us into.”
Not Israel. The Jews. And that matters.
Because it tells you exactly what this was. Not criticism of Israel. Not a debate about foreign policy. Not even a confused swipe at Zionism. It was plain, old-fashioned antisemitism, spoken openly and without embarrassment.
I had to hold on to everything to control myself. The comment was so over the top, so obscene and so brazen that for a moment you could feel the ugliness of it hanging in the air.
And there it was.
For those of us who spend our days confronting antisemitism, anti-Israel falsehoods and anti-Zionist incitement, the pattern is all too familiar. Complex issues such as geopolitics, foreign affairs, economics, and world events are reduced to crude scapegoating, with Jews cast as the convenient target for other people’s anger, confusion, and ignorance.
This is how antisemitism embeds itself. Not only through protests, slogans, vandalism, or online abuse, though we have seen plenty of that. It also seeps into ordinary life. School gates. Offices. Dinner tables. Sporting sidelines. Everyday conversations where people feel comfortable enough to say what they really think, or what they think others will tolerate.
And all too often, it goes unanswered. It cannot be left unanswered. It must be challenged, every single time.
Let us be clear. Petrol prices are shaped by global commodity markets, supply chains, refining and transport costs, taxes, the Australian dollar, and local competition. World events can affect those pressures. Wars can affect energy markets. But to jump from that to “America and the Jews” is not analysis. It is not insight. It is antisemitism, raw and unfiltered.
This is the oldest trick in the book. For centuries, Jews have been blamed for whatever is going wrong in the world. Economic hardship. War. Political instability. Financial crises. Social unrest. Now, apparently, petrol prices too.
The details change. The instinct does not.
And the language matters. He did not say Israel. He did not say the Israeli government. He did not say a policy, a leader, or a military action. He said the Jews.
That is not political commentary. That is not legitimate criticism. That is collective blame directed at Jews as Jews. That is antisemitism.
What struck me was not only the obscenity of the comment, but the ease with which it was said. The confidence behind it. The assumption that this kind of filth can simply be dropped into an ordinary conversation.
That should worry every decent person.
Because while I was prepared, not everyone is.
A small number of people will say these things and mean every word. A small number will reject them instantly for the poison they are. Most, however, will be standing nearby. Listening. Watching. Waiting to see whether anyone challenges it or whether the lie is allowed to sit there unopposed.
That is why these moments matter.
I knew what I was hearing. I knew what it was. I knew what to say. I knew how to respond in a way that put that person firmly in his place while making sure everyone else standing there heard a clear answer.
Because when this happens, you are not just speaking to the person who said it. You are speaking to everyone around them. The uncertain. The uncomfortable. The people who know it sounds wrong, but may not know how to answer it. The people who need to hear that there is a response grounded in fact and moral clarity.
That is the question for all of us now: are you prepared? Not just to recognize antisemitism when it appears in polite company, but to answer it. To call it out. To push back with facts and moral clarity. Because if you do not know what to say, and you let the moment pass, the slur lingers in the air and the silence around it does the rest.
And trust me, you are going to hear more of it.
As economic pressure grows and public debate becomes more coarse, tribal, and irrational, people will look for someone to blame. We are living through a time in which antisemitism is increasingly normalized, increasingly excused, and increasingly disguised as commentary on current affairs. Sometimes it hides behind anti-Zionism. Sometimes behind anti-Americanism. Sometimes behind the language of justice or peace. And sometimes, as happened last night, it does not bother to disguise itself at all.
That is why remarks like this cannot simply be brushed aside as ignorance. They are part of a wider and dangerous cycle in which Jews are once again made the convenient explanation for complex problems, lies are repeated often enough to sound normal and silence becomes complicity.
So what should people say?
They should say that blaming Jews for petrol prices is absurd.
They should say that complex economic pressures are real, but scapegoating Jews is not an explanation.
They should say that if your answer to a global problem is “the Jews,” then what you are expressing is not understanding. It is hate.
And they should say it clearly, calmly and without apology.
Because if decent people are not ready to answer these lies, the lies will spread. If people are left stunned into silence, those who speak with confidence, no matter how vile, too often carry the moment. And if that happens often enough, poison becomes normal.
Last night, I had to work hard to keep my reaction in check. The comment was that over the top. But it only reinforced for me how important it is to be ready. Ready with facts. Ready with clarity. Ready with the confidence to say: no, this is not acceptable, and no, this is not true.
And there it was.
The old hatred, spoken in an ordinary Australian setting, attached to the latest public grievance.
It was not about Israel. It was not about policy. It was about Jews.
And it must be answered. Every single time.
Michael Gencher is the Executive Director of StandWithUs Australia, an international education organisation dedicated to supporting Israel and combating antisemitism. Michael brings a wealth of experience in public affairs and public relations, having made significant contributions to the Jewish community in Australia.
Prior to his role at StandWithUs, Michael held key positions within the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, including Acting CEO and Head of Community. In these roles, he was instrumental in promoting education, fostering dialogue, and combating antisemitism. His professional journey reflects a deep commitment to the Jewish community, both in Australia and in Israel, where he has actively volunteered with various community groups.