This Far and No Further: Ensuring NSW Young Labor Remains Inclusive
Preamble:
NSW Young Labor has always taken pride in being a movement defined by solidarity, fairness, and inclusion. We have led the fight against racism, gender discrimination, homophobia, ableism, and discrimination in all its forms, because we know that prejudice anywhere weakens solidarity everywhere.
But inclusion must hold for all. Since our last conference in December 2023, Jewish participation in NSW Young Labor has quietly but unmistakably declined. Many young Jewish members remain proud Labor people, campaigners, organisers and unionists, but are increasingly absent from Young Labor spaces. That is not because Jewish people have turned away from Labor’s values, but because at times Young Labor has not lived up to them.
We are at a fork in the road: as the remaining Jewish members in Young Labor begin to age out, a failure to change course will mean that there won’t be others to take their place. If this occurs, it would be the first time in generations that NSW Young Labor wouldn’t be a home for young,
progressive, politically active Jewish Australians. As we’ve unfortunately seen play out in other political movements, this is a problem that, if procrastinated on, becomes increasingly difficult to solve.
We must acknowledge that there have been moments where our movement has fallen short.
When our Jewish members have sought solidarity from our comrades, too often they have been met with silence, qualification, or excuses. Many in Young Labor have spoken loudly against the politicisation of the issues faced by the Jewish community; far fewer in our movement have spoken with the same conviction against the issues that our Jewish members continue to face.
Consequently, we’ve seen an increased sense of isolation amongst our Jewish members.
Bigotry at branch meetings has gone unchallenged. Others have turned a blind eye when campus allies have targeted Jewish students – irrespective of their political beliefs. Young, progressive, and enthusiastic Jewish students who want nothing more than to contribute to our movement are being pushed away by our growing tolerance for intolerance.
These failures need not define us, but how we respond to them will.
It is critical we re-affirm that fighting the alarming rise of the far right and neo-Nazi groups does not discharge one’s obligation to fight anti-Jewish bigotry. Nor does cursory condemnation of antisemitism suffice, especially when followed by minimisation, contextualisation or excuse of the impugned conduct. Most critically, we must re-affirm that the responsibility for anti-Jewish bigotry, like all racism, rests with those who perpetrate it; not with those targeted by that racism, nor with those whose conduct is perceived to provoke it.
We must recognise that antisemitism is not always shouted from the margins; it often whispers in the mainstream. It can appear in offhand jokes, dismissive comments or in the unwillingness to listen when someone names their experience. We cannot credibly call out the political instrumentalisation of this issue by the Liberals, or its reckless exacerbation by the Greens, while ignoring the tolerance for bigotry within our own ranks. At the same time, we must acknowledge that it is easy to recognise prejudice in our opponents, but harder to recognise it in our friends – or even in ourselves. To address this, we must engage with this issue with the humility, empathy and respect that it requires – as this is not, and cannot, be a burden that only our Jewish members must bear. The principle of solidarity demands that we each do our part; we must take collective action if we want to rise to this challenge.
This motion is about reaffirming who we are: a movement that learns, listens and leads with empathy; a movement that protects its reputation by protecting its people; a movement that lives its hard-fought values, even when doing so isn’t easy. More than anything else, this motion is about reinforcing our ambition and commitment to be an inclusive political movement.
This far, and no further.
Actions:
- Antisemitism Awareness and Inclusion Training:
The NSW Young Labor Executive will undertake annual training on recognising and addressing antisemitism, developed in consultation with a range of Jewish community organisations and the Cross-Factional Jewish Working Group. The training will focus on cultural literacy, respectful language and practical strategies for fostering inclusion within progressive spaces.
- Cultural Engagement and Relationship-Building:
NSW Young Labor will host an annual Shabbat Dinner or equivalent cultural exchange event to promote understanding of Jewish culture, identity and history, in line with its endeavours to host a range of events which promote a broad understanding of a range of cultures and faiths. These events will be open to all members and designed to strengthen our internal culture of respect and curiosity.
- Inclusive Scheduling:
NSW Young Labor will ensure that events and conferences are scheduled in ways that allow members of all faiths, including Jewish members observing Shabbat or High Holy Days (where travel and work are religiously prohibited), to participate in Young Labor.
- Cross-Factional Jewish Working Group:
NSW Young Labor will establish a cross-factional Jewish Working Group to advise the Executive on matters relating to antisemitism, inclusion and representation. The group will support NSW Young Labor to proactively identify and address cultural and structural barriers to participation. Membership will be open to all Jewish NSW Young Labor members who wish to participate.
- Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Review:
NSW Young Labor, in conjunction with NSW Labor, will review the codes of conduct to ensure that antisemitic behaviour and other forms of hate speech and discrimination are explicitly prohibited, consistently enforced and subject to transparent disciplinary procedures.
- Candidate Standards and Accountability:
NSW Young Labor reaffirms that endorsement or support in student elections for candidates who have engaged in racist, antisemitic, islamophobic, or otherwise discriminatory conduct is incompatible with Labor values. The Executive will develop candidate guidance to assist student leaders in ensuring that individuals who undermine our principles of respect and equality are not endorsed by or affiliated with our movement.
