This week on the ILTV News Podcast, Executive Editor Maayan Hoffman speaks with Manny Waks, the former head of Australia’s Anti-Defamation Commission and former vice president of the Australian Jewish community, about the surging antisemitism in Australia.

Waks shares a chilling assessment following a weekend of attacks in Melbourne—a synagogue firebombed during Shabbat, an Israeli-owned restaurant stormed by protesters shouting “Death to the IDF,” and Jewish-owned cars torched.

“Antisemitism has always existed,” Waks says, “but this level of blatant violence is a whole new reality.” He explains how anti-Israel sentiment has morphed into dangerous antisemitic actions, fueled by misinformation, social media, and political cowardice.

The conversation goes deep: from the trauma faced by Jewish children now walking to school under guard, to the betrayal felt by Jews abandoned by the same progressive allies they once stood beside.

But there’s also resilience. “The chicken soup is still flowing,” Waks says, referencing the warmth of Melbourne’s Jewish homes even in the cold of hatred.

Can Australia turn back the tide—or is the damage done? And what can everyday citizens do to push back against this wave of hate?