Pattern of taxpayer-funded antisemitism demands answers

Reports that a senior staff member of taxpayer-funded arts organisation the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) celebrated the October 7 terrorist attacks raise serious questions for the Albanese Government.

NAVA reportedly receives around $400,000 a year in government funding.

Shadow Minister for the Arts, Angie Bell MP said there must be zero tolerance for any taxpayer-funded organisation that promotes or celebrates antisemitism or terrorism.

“There is nothing to celebrate about October 7. The murder of almost 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians, was a horrific act of terrorism,” Ms Bell said.

“Any promotion or celebration of these crimes is completely unacceptable and Australian taxpayers should not be funding it.”

The Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism identified antisemitism and racial bias in the arts as a serious problem and recommended that Creative Australia should cease funding such organisations and recover funds where appropriate.

The Albanese Government accepted those recommendations.

Ms Bell said the latest revelations raise serious questions about a pattern of behaviour among taxpayer-funded arts organisations and the Government’s failure to act.

“I wrote to Minister Burke on 5 June about concerns regarding a separate organisation using taxpayer-funded grants to publish pro-October 7 and antisemitic material. Three months later, I have still not received a response,” Ms Bell said.

“The Government cannot claim to be serious about combating antisemitism while turning a blind eye to organisations that are using taxpayer funding to promote or normalise it.

“Australian taxpayers deserve answers, and Jewish Australians deserve to know that the Government is taking this issue seriously.”