Bridget McKenzie warns ‘sickening’ anti-Semitism must be stopped before it worsens

A Nationals senator has warned the Holocaust started with protests and the normalisation of anti-Semitism as she labelled pro-Palestinian rallies on October 7 sickening.

Thousands of Australians commemorated the first anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Monday.

But there were also protests outside a Sydney mosque celebrating the date and fake bodies draped in Palestinian flags laid out in Melbourne.

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie said it was shocking and sickening.

“It’s useful to remember that the Holocaust didn’t start with gas chambers and Jews on cattle trains. It started with protests, hate speech and anti-Semitism becoming normalised,” she said on Tuesday morning.

“We shouldn’t be letting this divide us here at home. And the scenes we saw in Sydney and Melbourne seek to do that now.”

Cabinet minister Amanda Rishworth said the scenes of celebration were “absolutely repugnant” and while there was a place for peaceful protest, some of the comments were appalling.

“What happened on October 7 still absolutely has a horrific wave of impact. And the anti-Semitism we’re seeing is absolutely appalling,” she said.

“So, our job is to promote social cohesion in this country, to ensure that people come together.”

Political leaders attended Jewish community commemorations on Monday evening.

Cabinet minister Mark Butler, a close ally of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton delivered speeches in Sydney denouncing the growing tide of anti-Semitism and urging Australians to call it out and stop it.

Mr Butler told the event that Israel “has the right to defend itself and respond to these attacks”.

“As (US) President (Joe) Biden has said, a military response should be proportionate,” he said. “But no self-respecting nation would fail to defend itself if attacked the way Israel has been.”

Shadow foreign affairs minister Simon Birmingham welcomed Mr Butler’s comments but questioned why it was left to the health minister to support Israel’s right to respond to the October 7 attack.

The first repatriation flight of Australians fleeing the conflict’s expansion into Lebanon arrived in Sydney on Monday night carrying almost 350 passengers.

So far, the Government has helped more than 1200 people leave Lebanon, with two more flights scheduled to leave Beirut on Tuesday.

More than 3800 Australians and their family members have registered as wanting to leave the country.