In the aftermath of the Bondi massacre, some serious issues have come to the surface. These include broad policy issues such as immigration, national security and anti-hate laws that deserve careful and separate consideration. But here, I want to discuss a broader issue that, in some ways, is more insidious.
Our social media world has created a society which is no longer interested in exploring the complex and nuanced details of a situation. Instead, society has shifted toward an infatuation with binary, simplistic narratives. Increasingly, public discourse divides people or whole groups into heroes or villains; wholly good or thoroughly evil. A broad brush is applied sweepingly to whole people groups, with little appreciation of the complex diversity that exists within those groups.
This is particularly evident in the outbreak of antisemitism that has recently taken root in many countries. People who object to Israel’s prosecution of their war against Hamas have tared all Jews with the same brush. But this fails to appreciate that many Jews – both expatriates and those residing in Israel – have diverse and conflicting opinions concerning the conflict in the Middle East. In fact, many Jews disagree with Israel’s ongoing military campaign and have been calling for the resignation of those who have authorised it.
Indeed, Australia and many other countries have become home to a sizable expatriate Jewish population who are essentially peace-loving and who wish to distance themselves – both physically and ideologically – from Israel’s aggressive stance. These are people who have nothing to do with Israel’s military policies and who simply wish to live peacefully among us.
The great tragedy is that these essentially peace-loving expatriates are being targeted by people who are not interested in the complex facts of the situation. Antisemitism is not interested in nuance. It is reductionist thinking that blames all Jews for the decisions of the Israeli government. It is binary thinking that depicts an entire people group as thoroughly evil, with no room for acknowledging the diversity that exists within that group.
This senseless binary reductionism feeds on an even more base undercurrent: the growing lust within society for a person or people to hate and a cause to fight for. Essentially, many people seem to be saying, “Don’t confuse me with nuance and complex diversity, just give me a simplistic cause to fight and a people to hate. Tell me who the villains are and I’ll cancel them.”
In a world of simplistic memes and shallow Instagram posts, thoughtful engagement with the complexities of an issue have largely deserted us. We are increasingly devolving into a society of primitive thinkers who are addicted to simplistic moral outrage. This sort of mindless racism should have no part in a society which purports to espouse tolerance and inclusion.
My thoughts and prayers and love go out to the Jewish community in Australia at this time. I want them to know that they are a much-loved and valuable part of our society and I want to assure them that we, as a nation, will do all we can to stamp out the mindless racism that has fuelled the recent violent attack upon them.