Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson vows to ban 'Globalise the intifada' phrase if elected

Promise made at Caulfield Shule event, as Queensland's similar ban faces High Court challenge

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published25 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources3 outlets

Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has pledged to criminalise the phrase 'Globalise the intifada' if a Coalition government is elected in November, linking its use to rising antisemitism and the Bondi terror attack. Speaking at a community event in Melbourne's Jewish heartland, Wilson said the phrase incites violence, but legal experts and Palestinian advocates argue a ban may violate constitutional free-speech protections.

State Opposition Leader Jess Wilson has vowed to ban the phrase 'Globalise the intifada' if the Coalition wins the November Victorian election, saying it has contributed to normalised antisemitism in Australia.

Wilson made the commitment on Sunday at the Caulfield Shule in Melbourne, during the launch of a book on the Bondi terror attack by Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and Sharri Markson. She drew a direct link between chants used at pro-Palestinian protests and last December's massacre of 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach.

'When governments ... allow hatred like ‘All Zionists are terrorists’ and ‘Globalise the intifada’ to be spewed and normalised on our streets, at our universities and online, Bondi is the result,' Wilson said.

The term 'intifada' means 'uprising' in Arabic and has been used both for peaceful civil disobedience and for periods of violence against Israeli civilians. Pro-Israel Jewish groups say the phrase calls for violence against Jews, while Palestinian activists and their supporters reject that, arguing it is a call for liberation.

In March, Queensland banned 'From the river to the sea' and 'Globalise the intifada' under hate-speech laws, with more than 20 people charged. That ban is now being challenged in the High Court. NSW Premier Chris Minns has said he would follow suit if the Queensland law survives challenge.

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network vice president Hiba Farra decried the pledge as part of a pattern of restricting speech on Palestine, saying the phrase is a call for non-violent solidarity. Leading constitutional expert Professor Anne Twomey has warned that banning specific political slogans would likely breach the implied freedom of political communication.

Wilson also promised 'move on' laws, protest permits, and defunding organisations that promote antisemitism.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

The pledge intensifies the Victorian election campaign around free speech and antisemitism, a highly charged issue since October 7, 2023.
If enacted, Victoria would join Queensland in banning a phrase central to pro-Palestinian protest, setting up a national legal test over Australia's implied freedom of political communication.
The High Court challenge to Queensland's ban will determine the viability of such laws nationwide, affecting how states can regulate protest speech.

Background

Australia has seen a sharp rise in reported antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Large pro-Palestinian protests in Melbourne and other cities have used phrases including 'Globalise the intifada' and 'From the river to the sea'. In response, Queensland introduced hate-speech laws in March 2026 that criminalise both slogans, carrying a maximum two-year jail term. More than 20 people have been charged. A group of protesters is challenging the law in the High Court, arguing it breaches the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian Constitution. Legal experts, including Professor Anne Twomey, have said such bans are likely to be struck down.

Key Perspectives

Jess Wilson (Victorian Opposition Leader): Says the phrase is incitement to violence and directly contributed to the Bondi terror attack, and that governments must act against hate speech 'spewed and normalised on our streets'. Hiba Farra (Australia Palestine Advocacy Network vice president): Calls the pledge part of a 'broader and concerning pattern of restricting freedom of speech' on Palestine, arguing the phrase is a non-violent call for liberation and solidarity. Professor Anne Twomey (constitutional expert): Has warned that banning specific political slogans would likely conflict with Australia's implied freedom of political communication and be struck down by the courts.

What to Watch

The High Court's ruling on the Queensland ban, expected in coming months, which will set a precedent for any Victorian or NSW legislation.
Whether the Coalition's election platform includes further free-speech restrictions, such as protest permits and 'move on' laws.
The reaction from Victoria's Jewish and Palestinian communities in the lead-up to the November election.

Sources

Jess Wilson vows to ban ‘Globalise the intifada’ phrase if elected · The Sydney Morning Herald
Jess Wilson vows to ban ‘Globalise the intifada’ phrase if elected · Brisbane Times
Jess Wilson vows to ban ‘Globalise the intifada’ phrase if elected · WAtoday

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedWilson vowed to criminalise “Globalise the intifada” if the Coalition is elected in November.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Jess Wilson has vowed to criminalise the phrase “Globalise the intifada” if a Coalition government is elected in November”
Partly supportedThe summary says legal experts and Palestinian advocates argue that a ban may violate constitutional free-speech protections.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “leading constitutional experts have argued bans are likely to be struck down for breaching Australia’s implied freedom of political communication.”
SupportedWilson linked phrases including “Globalise the intifada” to rising antisemitism and the Bondi attack.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “saying it is among several phrases used by pro-Palestinian activists that contributed to a wave of rising antisemitism in Australia and led to the Bondi terror attack.”
SupportedWilson said: “When governments ... allow hatred like ‘All Zionists are terrorists’ and ‘Globalise the intifada’ to be spewed and normalised on our streets, at our universities and online, Bondi is the result.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““When governments, at both a state and a federal level, allow hatred like ‘All Zionists are terrorists’, and ‘Globalise the intifada’, to be spewed and normalised on our streets, at our universities and online, Bondi is the result,” Wilson said.”
SupportedWilson made the commitment at the Caulfield Shule on Sunday during the launch of a book about the Bondi attack by Alex Ryvchin and Sharri Markson.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Wilson made the commitment at an event at the Caulfield Shule on Sunday afternoon”
SupportedThe Bondi attack killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach last December.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the massacre of 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach last December.”
SupportedQueensland banned “From the river to the sea” and “Globalise the intifada” under hate-speech laws in March.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “In March, Queensland banned the slogans “From the river to the sea” and “Globalise the intifada” under hate speech laws”
SupportedMore than 20 people have been charged over use of the Queensland-banned phrases.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “More than 20 people have already been charged over use of the phrases.”
SupportedThe Queensland laws are being challenged in the High Court.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “a group of protesters is challenging the laws in the High Court”
SupportedNSW Premier Chris Minns said he would ban the phrase if Queensland’s laws survived the High Court challenge.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would also ban “Globalise the intifada” if Queensland’s laws survived the High Court challenge.”
SupportedHiba Farra described the phrase as a call for non-violent solidarity.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “She said the term was a call for support of Palestinians through non-violent means such as protest, boycotts or political pressure on governments’ policies towards Israel.”
SupportedProfessor Anne Twomey warned that banning specific political slogans would likely breach the implied freedom of political communication.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Leading constitutional expert Professor Anne Twomey warned in her submission to the NSW inquiry that banning specific political slogans, even those that offended or damaged social cohesion, would probably conflict with Australia’s implied freedom of political communication”