Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. File | Photo Credit: AP
Australia passed a strict anti-hate crime law on Thursday (February 6, 2025) to tackle the recent surge in anti-Semitism. did.
The law places a minimum prison sentence of six years for 12 months for more serious hate crimes, including giving Nazi salutes in public places.
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“We hope that anti-Semitism people will be considered, charged and imprisoned,” Anthony Albanese, who initially opposed the mandatory minimum sentence for hate crimes. The Prime Minister told Sky News.
The government’s hate crime bill was first introduced in Parliament last year and is based on race, religion, nationality, national or ethnicity, political opinion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status or power or against people It created new crimes to threaten violence.
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In recent months, we have seen escalation of attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars of Jewish community members across the country, including the discovery of caravans loaded with explosives, including a list of Sydney’s Jewish targets.
Albanese has been criticized by central right opposition parties for being weak in crime and failing to deal with the rise in anti-Semitism.
The liberal coalition of states began calling for an additional mandatory minimum sentence to the hate crime bill last month.
Home Minister Tony Burke, who introduced amendments that allow provisions on Wednesday (February 5th), said the change was “the strictest law Australia has ever had on hate crimes.” He said.
New South Wales, where most of the anti-Semitic attacks have occurred, said Wednesday that it will strengthen hate speech laws to reflect those already in place in Western Australia and Victoria.
Published – February 6, 2025, 12:28pm IST
