The rising tide of antisemitism and religious hatred is a deeply concerning threat to our national cohesion. As Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Elton observed in his 2025 CIS Acton Lecture, antisemitism is a warning sign of a fracturing civic culture. It signals a breakdown in the values that hold our society together.
In response, CIS has launched a bold three-year national research initiative: The New Intolerance: Antisemitism and Religious Hatred in a Fracturing Civic Compact. This landmark study will:
• Track national attitudes toward antisemitism and religious hatred
• Investigate the civic, political, and moral dimensions of religious hatred
• Produce original research and policy recommendations to bolster institutional resilience
• Engage the public and media to ensure this issue is not ignored
The New Intolerance: Antisemitism in a Fracturing Civic Compact is a three-year national research initiative led by the Centre for Independent Studies. The project responds to the sharp rise in antisemitism in Australia and examines what this trend reveals about the health of our civic culture.
Antisemitism has long been recognised as a warning sign of deeper social fracture. Its persistence signals a breakdown in shared norms of tolerance, trust, and democratic restraint. This project investigates antisemitism not in isolation, but as part of a broader pattern of religious hatred that is testing the resilience of Australia’s institutions and civic compact.
The research program combines original data collection and empirical research, policy analysis, and public engagement. It will track national attitudes toward Jewish Australians and other religious groups, examine the social and political drivers of antisemitism and other forms of religious hatred, and assess how different communities experience and perceive antisemitism. The project will also evaluate which policy and institutional responses are most effective in countering prejudice while preserving liberal democratic principles. Through national surveys, interim reports, public forums, and a final national conference, The New Intolerance aims to inform public debate, strengthen institutional resilience and to help build a more cohesive, confident and pluralistic Australia.
As Rabbi Elton said, “The resilience of antisemitism in our society will remain puzzling unless we go to its roots… this
requires the deepest, most thoughtful work.”
This is not an abstract policy debate. It goes to the heart of the country we want to be.
Tolerance is often treated as an unqualified virtue. But even virtues have limits. When men...