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Josh Butler
Peter Dutton says Holocaust education an important mission
In his statement for International Holocaust Day, Peter Dutton, the opposition leader, drew parallels between current anti-semitism and the Holocaust.
The weight of history will be especially felt by survivors and their families this International Holocaust Remembrance Day with 2025 marking the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
In the magnitude of anti-Semitism which is plaguing Western democracies today – including Australia – many citizens who have read about the history and horrors of the Holocaust have, for the first time, grasped how that catastrophe eventuated. They have seen, with their own eyes, a type of hate that, if left unchecked, unleashes greater evils.
Dutton will be in Perth on Monday to confirm a pledge of $2 million for the Holocaust Institute of Western Australia.
He said of the announcement:
Educating Australians about atrocities of the Holocaust and the October 7 attacks is an important mission that deserves support.
By gaining awareness of the persecution and atrocities committed against Jews, Australians will have a better understanding of why there is no place for antisemitism in our community.
Albanese and Dutton release Holocaust memorial statements
Josh Butler
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have both released statements overnight on International Holocaust Day, referencing the recent spate of antisemitism in Australia and globally.
The prime minister said the world “cannot allow the Holocaust to recede into history”:
It was a pitiless and unrelenting act of cruelty that was long in the planning, cold in its calculation, and carried out on a scale that falls across the decades like a terrible shadow.
The devastation felt when witnessing the horror, destruction and brutality inflicted by Hamas on October 7 is reminiscent of the dark and painful stories of the past. For the Australian Jewish community, those are the stories of their families.
Albanese said Jewish Australians “are integral to the story of Australia”.
We embraced the Jewish community then, and we embrace you now.
Tragically, we are not yet free of antisemitism. It stands in vile opposition to all we are as a nation and all that we have built – together – over generations. We will not tolerate it in any form. It has no place in our nation, and we will combat it with the full force of our laws and with total commitment from every level of government.
Good morning. Welcome to this public holiday Monday news liveblog. I’m Stephanie Convery and I’ll be with you right through until early afternoon.
The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has described vandalism to the police monument in Sydney’s Domain overnight as “disgusting behaviour”. He said in a statement this morning that the vandals, who appear to have damaged and graffitied the monument, are “lower than low”.
Meanwhile, the NSW police minister, Yasmin Catley, has said police are investigating and “will leave no stone unturned” to find the culprits.
We’ll bring you more on that shortly.
And Victorians are expecting to swelter through the public holiday, with temperatures between 12 and 14C above average and maximum temperatures reaching up to 45C in parts of the state. Melbourne is expecting to hit 41C by late afternoon. There are total fire bans in place in many parts of the state, and thunderstorms developing later in the day.
Grab a coffee and let’s find out what’s happening around the country.
Article by:Source: Stephanie Convery
