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The first Never Again is Now event powerfully championed the cause of Judaeo-Christian values in combatting antisemitism. Headlined by Scott Morrison in Sydney, the event is just the beginning of the movement to reclaim Australia’s soul.

Never Again is Now has begun its Australia-wide campaign combatting antisemitism to a crowd of around 10,000 at The Domain in Sydney on Sunday. [Update: NSW police estimated 12,000]

The event (which can be viewed here) drew together Christians and Jews in a mark of solidarity, led by Anglican minister Mark Leach.

Christians Standing Against Antisemitism

Leach set the agenda for the day upfront by saying, “Every Christian person owes a debt to the Jewish people. Every spiritual blessing that any follower of Jesus has, they have because of the Jewish people.”

“Now is the time to pay that debt. Now is the time to stand against hate and with those to whom we owe everything in terms of our faith.”

Leach laid down the challenge for Christians. He boldly proclaimed, “If they want to come to you, the Jew, the need to come through us, the Church.”

Joyful Spirit

Considering the backdrop of darkness that called for the event, the uplifting atmosphere immediately stood out.

The crowds were both reflective and jubilant, contemplative and joyful – but overall celebration was central.

Music and singing interspersed the afternoon. During one song, up to a dozen people formed a ring as they danced jubilantly to the words, “Make He make peace upon us; And on all of Israel”.

A display of the 134 remaining hostages in Gaza sent a sobering message. Set up on the upper slope of The Domain, each hostage was represented by a cardboard silhouette. It was a powerful presentation reminding Sydney to “bring them home now”.

A Frontline of Speakers

The rally platformed a long line-up of speakers including former Prime Minister Scott Morison, business leader and activist Warren Mundine, Senator Jackie Lambie, Australian Christian Lobby CEO Michelle Pearce, Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral Sandy Grant, Liberal Senators Julian Lesser and Hollie Hughes, former Labor NSW Treasure Eric Roozendaal, Iranian community leader Daniel Taghaddos, and former deputy Prime Minister John Anderson.

Scott Morrison delivered the first speech, highlighting Australia’s commitment to the Jewish people and against antisemitism, despite antisemitism’s lingering stench in the United Nations.

Morrison called for Christians to pray for a deep and real peace in the Middle East. In doing so, he focussed on those preventing such an outcome who “use the innocent civilians as shields for their dastardly acts, in contravention of international law.”

“There will be no peace in the Middle East”, Morrison stated, “while the Palestinian cause is championed by terrorists, by Hamas and Hezbollah, and by those who in support of this cause, are prepared to make excuses for terrorists. To engage in acts of antisemitism and draw an equivalence between the barbaric and calculated attacks of terrorists on October 7 and a nation-state exercising its right of self-defence.”

“So long as these factors remain, I fear peace will be elusive, and innocent suffering will sadly continue.”

While acknowledging the present impossibility of a peaceful situation, Morrison added, “But I have always believed in miracles. And I will continue to always pray for an incredible miracle in the Middle East.”

Warren Mundine reminded the crowds of William Cooper, the 78-year-old Aboriginal pastor who led a delegation of the Australian Aboriginal League to the German consulate in Melbourne. This response to Kristallnacht in 1938 is “the only known protest of its kind in the world”.

He also brought together Indigenous solidarity with Jewish people when he said, “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders bravely served in the Second World War to defeat the Nazis. Thousands of them. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the Jews in a war between civil society and Nazi savagery.”

Fittingly, artwork by Aboriginal artist Norman Miller from Indigenous Friends of Israel overhung the stage. Titled “We Stand Up for Israel”, the artwork that was placed centre-stage is now available for purchase.

Laughing at Antisemitism

One of the humorous parts of the afternoon was the mockery made of ‘Jewish tentacles’. Recently, NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong warned against the “Jewish” and “Zionist lobby” when she said “their tentacles reach into the areas that try and influence power”. In this, she was echoing the longstanding corrupting conspiracy theory of Jewish domination and control in world affairs.

This standard anti-Jewish trope goes back to Hitler. In Mein Kampf he railed against the “Jewish tendency of world conquest”. Germany, he thought, was under threat of becoming victims of “these bloodthirsty and avaricious Jewish tyrants of nations”. Unheeded, it would sink into “the snares of this octopus”.

After referring to Leong’s “absolutely disgraceful” public comments, Senator Hollie Hughes highlighted humour as a method of resistance. Hughes expressed her admiration by saying, “One of my favourite things about the Jewish community is your wonderful sense of humour.”

She spoke of a running Facebook question that asked, “What would you do with your tentacles?”. The favourite answer was “Light all my Hannukah candles at the same time.”

Mark Leach implored the crowd that sometimes, “You can’t take evil too seriously. Sometimes you just have to laugh in the face of evil.” This is precisely God’s response in Psalm 2. In verse 4 He laughs at the rage and vain attempt of human rulers to throw off His kingship.

Leach and thousands in the crowd waved their arms up and down in sea creature style as he continued, “We have the great example of the… squid outside Jenny Leong’s office.”

“We won’t listen to these antisemitic tropes. We laugh in the face of antisemitism. We laugh at you because justice and love will triumph.”

Judaeo–Christian Values Celebrated and Championed

Many speakers made numerous references to Australia’s ‘Judaeo–Christian values’. Hearing a public proclamation of Christianity’s immense positive role in creating and sustaining our nation was immensely refreshing. And most necessary.

Antisemitism was the immediate and urgent concern at the event. But the larger issue of our cultural decline overshadowed it.

Julian Lesser spoke powerfully to this point. “Today is not about the Jewish community. … It’s about the sort of Australia we want our kids to grow up and live in the future.”

“What we have here [is] so important and what we have here is so worth defending. Australia is a nation with a culture that is free, tolerant and temperate.”

He then drew the obvious and fundamental link.

“Based on the Judaeo-Christian ethic, with that radical idea that whoever we are, we are all created in the image and likeness of God. And so we derive our human dignity from that very fact.”

We Must Defend Judaeo–Christian Values

Having a member of parliament point out the connections between our free society and Christianity was refreshing, vital and necessary.

But just as crucial was Lesser’s warning.

He began, “This is such a wonderful country because it’s one of the few places on earth where there has never been any formal discrimination against the Jewish people.”

“But there are some people who don’t want us to be free to practice our faith and make a contribution to this wonderful country.”

“And many of those people are the same people who don’t want Christians to be able to practice their own faith as well.”

“Many of those people are found in the far left of Australian politics, particularly in the Australian Greens where hostility to people of faith is an ideological obsession.”

“I’ve always stood shoulder to shoulder with Christians to defend their religious freedom. And it’s wonderful to see so many Christians here defending mine.”

“Because if we don’t stand with each other, the fate that befalls one will befall all.”

“Let us all keep fighting for the Australia we know and love.”

Just the Start: Restoring Our Judaeo–Christian Values

John Anderson brought a fitting close to the event. Speaking of the “civilisation moment” that occurred with the Second War, he noted it “nearly destroyed our democracies and freedoms”.

And now in 2024, we find ourselves in a similar “civilisation moment”. Just as in the 1930s, the warning signs were there, but “the whole mess was made infinitely worse because people refused to take a strong stand early on.”

“We are at another civilisational moment”, he observed. “And the longer we ignore it, the longer we refuse to stand against it, the more likely it will be that it will end badly.”

To great applause, Anderson said, “And the sooner we stand up, the sooner we can restore can sanity.”

“You will never displace darkness with darkness. You will only displace darkness with light. This is only the beginning. Don’t go home and think you’ve done your bit. Let us be prepared to stay the course.”

Mark Leach left the crowd with these words, “What we have seen here is the birth of a movement to reclaim the cultural values of Australia.”

“This is just the start of what we are going to do in this great country of ours.”

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Photo by Never Again is Now.