Australia’s Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called for the deportation of immigrants who use or incite violence, and said every school should visit a Holocaust Museum.
Mr Dutton, the conservative leader of the Liberal Party, made the comments in an address to the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation at the St Kilda Shule on Friday.
“Australians who incite or choose violence over that message should face the full force of the law. Non-citizens who incite or choose violence should have their visas cancelled and be deported,” he said, to applause from the crowd.
“We will in government have a zero-tolerance approach for the intolerable behaviours of a few who threaten the Australian achievement for the many. We must also tackle the root causes of anti-Semitism.”
Mr Dutton, who wore a Jewish skullcap during his speech, also said Israel has a right to defend itself against Iran, criticised Foreign Minister Penny Wong for her handling of the conflict in Gaza, and said every Australian schoolkid should visit a Holocaust museum.
“If we instil in our children the lessons of history, those lessons serve as a shield of knowledge to deflect anti-semitic propaganda that they may encounter in life,” he said.
“They may be even braver to stand up and to stare down the acts of those who have evil in their heart.”
Mainly Jewish demonstrators with Palestinian flags had earlier protested outside the building, attendees said.
Mr Dutton’s comments on violent immigrants come after 51 police officers were injured when riots broke out after an Orthodox Christian bishop was allegedly stabbed by a teenage Islamic terrorist in Wakeley, western Sydney, on Monday night.
Thousands of Middle Eastern Christians, mainly from the local Assyrian community, surrounded the church and attacked police, demanding they hand over the suspect.
Conservative lobby group Advance commended Mr Dutton’s deportation call, simple writing “Well said!” on social media.
