Indigenous & Community Collaboration in Australia
A Report on the Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism (2025)
Introduction
On the closing day of the 2025 Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, a landmark panel addressed Indigenous and Jewish Community Collaboration. The session was chaired by Ms. Melanie Mackenzie, Deputy Head of the Office for Social Cohesion, Department of Home Affairs.
Ms. Mackenzie emphasised the importance of strengthening social cohesion, describing her office as “a focal point in government” and encouraging leaders to celebrate Australia’s resilience through community connection, participation, and understanding.
The panel featured Nova Peris OAM – Aboriginal Olympic champion, parliamentarian, and advocate for Jewish people and Israel; Ian Jankelowitz, Board Member of Stand Up, a Jewish social justice organisation, Professor Ghil’ad Zuckermann, Israeli linguist and founder of the field of revivalistics.
Nova Peris – Shared Histories of Struggle and Survival
Nova Peris opened with reflections on parallel histories of trauma and resilience. She described the grief of both Jewish and Aboriginal communities in October 2023 — the October 7 attacks on Israel and the defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
She praised Jewish Australians who had stood with Aboriginal people in overturning terra nullius, and recalled publishing an article in support of Jews on the same day she was inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame.
Her visit to Israel deepened her resolve to speak truthfully about Jewish indigeneity: “Israelis are the epitome of decolonisation. Every Indigenous person should look to the Jewish people for inspiration.”
Peris rejected narratives that Jews are colonisers, calling them propaganda that distorts history. She highlighted Israel’s fragility — “a third the size of Tasmania” — and the extraordinary resilience of its people.
“Australians must learn history, not slogans. I will defend Israel and her people to the day I die.”
Ian Jankelowitz – Building Cohesion Through Relationships
Mr. Jankelowitz described the mission of Stand Up, an organisation guided by the Jewish principle of tikkun olam (“repairing the world”). Originally focused on humanitarian fundraising, it has since grown into long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities.
He highlighted the Derech Eretz program, which connects Jewish university students with Aboriginal communities in Toomelah and Boggabilla. These exchanges foster cultural learning, leadership, and enduring trust, with locals warmly referring to their visitors as “the Jewish mob.”
Jankelowitz urged local leaders to follow this model: “Deep relationships prevent causes from being hijacked. With mutual understanding, we build true social cohesion.”
Ghil’ad Zuckermann – Revival of Languages, Revival of Culture
Professor Zuckermann began by honouring Nova Peris as a “modern-day William Cooper,” linking her advocacy to the Aboriginal elder who protested Kristallnacht in 1938.
The son of a Holocaust survivor, Zuckermann identified himself as an Indigenous Israeli and Cohen by heritage. He described how, on arriving in Australia, he dedicated himself to Aboriginal language revival, applying lessons from the rebirth of Hebrew.
Over 21 years, his work with communities such as the Barngarla has reclaimed lost languages, restoring cultural pride and identity. He shared a video illustrating this transformative process, demonstrating how revival of language brings revival of culture.
Questions from the Floor – Confronting Misappropriation
In discussion, a councillor asked how Indigenous voices can respond to activist attempts to link Aboriginal struggles to the Palestinian cause.
Peris spoke of her dismay at seeing the Aboriginal flag flown alongside extremist symbols, saying she now refuses to stand under it when “hijacked for propaganda.” She contrasted this with Jewish migrants, who she described as standing for humanity and contribution.
“We should not import international conflicts into this beautiful country.”
Zuckermann added that antisemitism sits at the intersection of far-left, far-right, and Islamist ideologies. He explained how discourse has shifted through the “Overton window,” recasting Jews as colonisers and drawing some Aboriginal voices into anti-Israel narratives.
Jankelowitz concluded that authentic relationships between communities are the best safeguard against co-option, encouraging leaders to create space for dialogue at the local level.
Conclusion – Stronger Together
The panel highlighted how Indigenous and Jewish communities share histories of dispossession, resilience, and cultural renewal. Their collaboration offers a model of solidarity and social strength for Australia.
These stories are among those being documented in the forthcoming book Stronger Together, authored by Professor Gillian Gould with the support of the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem. The book will feature at the Embassy’s one-day symposium in Jerusalem this November, ensuring that voices of collaboration and advocacy resonate both in Australia and Israel.
(Reported for the Indigenous Embassy Jerusalem by Professor Gillian Gould
Author of Stronger Together: Indigenous and Jewish Journeys of Collaboration)