Australia’s Former PM Scott Morrison will join far-right political figures as a keynote speaker at an Israel-sponsored antisemitism conference later this month. Stephanie Tran reports.
Scott Morrison is billed as a keynote speaker at the Generation Truth antisemitism conference in Israel later this month, an event which has drawn criticism for its inclusion of far-right European political figures and has been boycotted by major Jewish organisations.
It is being organised by Israel’s minister for diaspora affairs, Amichai Chikli, and is scheduled to take place at Jerusalem’s International Convention Centre on January 27.
According to reporting by Haaretz, the conference will again feature politicians from far-right European parties, including figures from movements with historical links to Holocaust denial and extremist ideologies. Last year’s event was widely boycotted by Jewish community leaders and organisations.
One representative said that they were “astonished to see that
almost only members of parliament from the extreme right were invited to the conference”.
Banning aid, doxing Australians
Chikli has previously been criticised for cultivating ties with far-right European movements.
Last month, his ministry released a dossier naming Australian politicians and activists critical of Israel as “key influencers” of antisemitism, prompting NSW MP Anthony D’Adam to call on Australia’s home affairs minister to investigate potential foreign interference.
Chikli has also played a central role in the introduction of new registration conditions for international aid organisations, which require them to disclose personal information of their Palestinian staff. These measures have resulted in 37 NGOs being banned from operating in Gaza.
Humanitarian groups and the UN Secretary-General have warned that the restrictions would have devastating consequences for Palestinians reliant on aid, particularly as organisations face the prospect of being forced to withdraw entirely on March 1, 2026, if their registration was not renewed by the Israeli government.
Morrison’s record of support for Israel
During his time as prime minister, Morrison positioned himself as one of Israel’s strongest supporters among Australia’s western allies.
His government formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in 2021. The IHRA definition has been criticised for conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, with the definition’s original drafter condemning the weaponisation of the definition by governments to attack academic freedom and free speech
Morrison also recognised West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2018 and opened a Trade and Defence Office there in 2019, despite international consensus that unilateral assertions of sovereignty over Jerusalem are illegal under international law.
Critical of UN, protestors, ABC
In a speech at the Sydney Institute, Morrison called the UN General Assembly a forum “where Israel is bullied and where anti-Semitism is cloaked in language about human rights”. In 2024, he doubled down on these remarks and accused the UN of antisemitism and applying doubled standards against Israel.
In 2019, Morrison was awarded the Jerusalem Prize by the Zionist Federation of Australia, with its president, Jeremy Leibler, praising Morrison for changing Australia’s voting pattern at the UN General Assembly to oppose what he described as “insulting” resolutions targeting Israel.
In a recent opinion piece titled ‘The Labor Party Made Australia Safe for Antisemitism’, Morrison argued that weekly pro-Palestinian protests in Australia “culminated in opponents of Israel marching across the Sydney Harbour Bridge”.
Morrison also called for the end of the “culture of permission for hateful protest, coercion and bullying”, singling out universities, arts institutions and the ABC, and arguing that what was lacking was “political will”.
Hundreds of Palestinians killed despite “ceasefire”
Morrison’s appearance at the conference also comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
Since the “ceasefire” came into effect on October 11, Israeli attacks have killed at least 449 Palestinians and wounded 1,246 others. Many of these attacks have occurred in residential areas and on tents sheltering displaced civilians.
According to UNICEF, more than 100 children have been killed since the October ceasefire, equivalent to “roughly one girl or boy killed every day”.
Morrison did not respond to a request for comment.
Antisemitism Bill. Same shirt. Different stairs. Years in prison.