I know this title may be startling.
It may even seem a bit extreme.
But I don’t think it is.
And I think there is some real truth to this, so let me explain.

Before I get to that, it would be wrong not to say that this article is very much based on Dara Horn’s book, People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present. Her argument is simple and confronting: the world is far more comfortable with dead Jews than with living ones.

She explains how Jewish suffering, especially the Holocaust, is widely memorialised, curated, and even sentimentalised, while actual Jewish people, Jewish life, Jewish continuity, and Jewish self-defence are ignored, misunderstood, or resented.

I felt this deeply after the Bondi massacre, which my baby and I, by the grace of G-d, survived. Even writing that still feels surreal.

After the attack, many people were quick to say, on social media and in real life, “we condemn such acts of violence” or “we are here for the Jewish community.”
But when it came to actually uncovering the root of this attack, many stayed silent.

Because no one wants to admit or connect the dots.

And for those who are still unsure, let me spell it out – Anti-Zionism.

This attack did not happen in a vacuum.

It happened in a country where Anti-Zionism has not only been tolerated, but embraced, accepted, and dare I say – celebrated. And the harsh reality is that the modern form of antisemitism in the West is Anti-Zionism

Anti-Zionism is simply a mask for Jew hatred, and a clever one too.

Anti-Zionism has legitimised antisemitism. It has given it a stamp of approval. A free pass.

It has taken over the streets of Australia in the name of peace and free speech, yet it has brought anything but that. It has brought chaos and violence. There is a direct correlation between the rise of Anti-Zionism and the rise of Jew hatred and violence.

I am confident in arguing that had the Australian government gone down hard on the protest outside the Opera House just two days after October 7, where protesters burned the Israeli flag and chanted “gas the Jews”, we would not be where we are today.

Those failures paved the way for violence to erupt on our streets.

Graffiti and vandalism were allowed.
Cars were firebombed.
Synagogues and Jewish eateries were targeted.
Protests escalated, from offensive chants to terrorist flags being flown, and barely anyone was held accountable.

It is up to the Australian government to set the tone for the rest of the country. It is up to the Australian government to protect all Australian citizens.

If freedom of speech laws need to be changed to stop incitement to violence, then so be it. If fines need to be handed out to those who cause anarchy, then so be it. If people enter Australia with extreme ideologies and no proper background checks, then they do not belong here.

I am all for a multicultural society – but with boundaries.
People need boundaries.
The world needs boundaries.

Without boundaries, there is anarchy.

People love dead Jews because it avoids the core of the problem. The root. It sits comfortably with people because they can mourn Jews once they are gone, while Israel defending itself against a terror regime is labelled unethical or even genocidal.

This world has become twisted.

We need to start calling out the truth, and we need to do it fast. Because if we don’t, and it already feels dangerously late, Jewish lives will continue to be lost.

Anti-Zionism is antisemitism (99% of the time).

That does not mean you cannot criticise Israel, of course you can, just like any other country.

But if you say “I’m sorry for the Jewish community” without recognising the direct connection between rising antisemitism and attitudes toward Israel, then I hate to say it – you are part of the problem.

Born and raised in the heart of Melbourne’s Jewish community, Chavi now resides in Bondi, Sydney, with her husband Ezry and son Meir, and works as a Jewish Studies Educator at Moriah College. She holds a Master’s in Secondary Teaching and an undergraduate degree in History and Philosophy. Passionate about Chassidic masters and the mystical teachings of the Torah, Chavi launched The Empowered Jew, an organisation dedicated to equipping Jewish individuals with the knowledge, skills, and tools to navigate today’s challenges confidently. The Empowered Jew focuses on Jewish and Israel education, and provides strategies for engaging in difficult conversations when chosen.