Hundreds of Jewish women gathered in the central Australian business districts of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth on Tuesday to mark International Human Rights Day. The women held a silent vigil to highlight the plight of the 96 hostages who have been held in captivity in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas terror organization for more than 430 days.

The attendees represented a coalition of women’s organizations that included the National Council of Jewish Women Australia, the Women’s International Zionist Organization (WIZO), United Israel Appeal (UIA) Women’s Division, Emunah, Great Women, Orah Sydney, B’nai Brith Womanpower Unit and others.

Attendees held photographs of the hostages and signs saying, “Jewish women’s rights are human rights,” referring to the silence of feminist organizations and the United Nations about the crimes of sexual violence committed against women and girls during the Hamas assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and thereafter.

There are still 12 women who remain captive, including the remains of Judith Weinstein, who is believed to have been murdered during the initial attack last year.

Speaking to JNS, Penny Goodman, vice president of WIZO Victoria, said: “Since October the 7th WIZO has been advocating for the release of the hostages. Time and time again, these people have been forgotten in the narrative. As today was International Human Rights Day, I felt that maybe people would listen to us when we said that we Jews and Israelis have the same rights as anyone. And where are the humanitarian organizations standing up for our rights? We organized this in a week and feel very proud that we were able to do it Australia-wide. What these Jew-haters do not realize is the more they try and destroy us, the stronger and prouder we get. Am Israeli Chai!”

Across the country, in Perth, Lynda Ben Menashe, president of the National Council of Jewish Women Australia, noted the success of the event and promised that “it won’t be the last” of its kind.

“I’m so gratified about today,” Ben Menashe said, “I’m pleased that we could give Jewish women a way to gather in community and solidarity to honor our Israeli sisters and brothers in captivity, and to show the Australian public that we are a dignified and peaceful people who care about the human rights of all. We are strong and resolute and will not accept the world ignoring the humanity of our hostages.”

The vigil drew the attention of women from other communities, as well. In Melbourne, a refugee from Sudan approached the organizers to express her support, saying that, like the Jewish women, she, too, was indigenous and had fled Sudan because of the Islamists.

Alexandra de Crespigny, a Christian ally, congratulated attendees for standing up for human rights, saying it was “a privilege and a pleasure to stand with hundreds on Human Rights Day, the Jewish community and otherwise, to acknowledge and affirm our continued concern for Oct. 7 hostages. Social cohesion and peaceful coexistence, which was on full display at the vigil, is a mandate I believe the majority of us aspire to.”

The countrywide women’s vigil comes at a time when antisemitism is soaring in Australia. Last Friday, the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne was torched with worshippers inside.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack, saying “Quite clearly this has been aimed at creating fear, and that is what terrorists seek to do.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke to Albanese to express grave concern at the horrific rise of antisemitism in a country that has a history of being a safe place for Jews. Albanese, whose left-wing Labor government has been accused of pursuing anti-Israel positions, declined to address claims by his Israeli counterpart, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that these positions had helped ignite the attack.

Earlier this week, the U.S.-based Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a travel advisory warning for Australia.

On Wednesday morning, in the Sydney suburb of Woollahra, cars were set on fire and hateful anti-Israel graffiti was sprayed on the walls of homes for a second time in a matter of weeks.

Image - JNS/ Penny Goodman