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Josh Burns called new Greens leader David Shoebridge’s answer about the party’s relationship with Jewish Australians “prejudice” because Burns said it highlighted Jewish people who shared Shoebridge’s views on the Middle East without clearly welcoming the whole community. Shoebridge had said the Greens had strong connections with “much of the Australian Jewish community,” particularly those opposing genocide. Burns acknowledged Shoebridge had not explicitly labelled Jewish people “good” or “bad,” but argued that the answer risked dividing them by their views.
What prompted the dispute?
The exchange followed Shoebridge’s election as Greens leader on 30 September 2026. A journalist asked whether he would “mend the bridges” between the party and the local Jewish community. Shoebridge rejected the premise that the relationship needed repair.
He said the Greens had “really strong connections” with “much of the Australian Jewish community,” particularly people he described as opposing genocide and speaking for shared values. He said the party would champion their voices and urged the media to “Listen to their cries for justice like we do.” These remarks were reported by ABC News on 1 October 2026.
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Why did Josh Burns call the answer prejudiced?
Burns, the Labor MP for Macnamara, said the answer was “pretty shocking.” His objection was that Shoebridge emphasized relationships with Jewish Australians who agreed with his position on the Middle East, rather than offering reassurance that Jewish people with differing views also belonged and should feel safe in Australian political life.
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Burns said, “The Jewish community should not be put into categories of good and bad based on their views on what is happening in the Middle East; that is not progressive leadership.” He called the approach “prejudice.” Burns later acknowledged Shoebridge had not explicitly said there were “good” or “bad” Jewish people. He nevertheless argued that the leader’s instinct was to isolate some members of the community.
How did Shoebridge’s spokesperson respond?
A spokesperson for Shoebridge said the original question had been asked by a News Corp journalist who did not publish it. The spokesperson defended the focus on progressive Jewish voices, saying: “Members of the progressive Jewish community consistently tell us their opposition to genocide and their deep cultural history of humanism and peace is being deliberately ignored by journalists.”
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The two arguments concern different aspects of representation: the spokesperson said progressive Jewish voices opposing genocide were marginalized in media coverage; Burns argued that a leader’s response should not make inclusion appear dependent on agreement with his Middle East perspective. Burns maintained his criticism while saying he hoped to have a constructive relationship with the new leadership team.
What is the political context?
Shoebridge took the leadership after Larissa Waters resigned due to illness. The Greens chose him in a rare contested ballot: he received seven votes and Mehreen Faruqi received four, according to ABC News’s 30 September report. Those figures do not establish the full vote breakdown across all candidates. Sarah Hanson-Young also contested the leadership, and Steph Hodgins-May was elected deputy leader. Faruqi said she was disappointed the leader had not been chosen by party members.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he looked forward to constructive engagement with the new Greens team, while criticizing the party’s focus on replacing Labor and arguing that One Nation posed a political threat. Shoebridge blamed Labor for One Nation’s rise and said the Greens could counter Pauline Hanson. These are competing political claims, not established explanations or forecasts, as reported by ABC News on 1 October 2026.
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