Australian tennis great Margaret Court said she “stands with the Jews and with Israel” and urged Australians to show unequivocal solidarity with the Jewish state on Thursday, in comments reported by Australian media. Court, 83, cited her Christian faith as the basis for her position and warned there is “a price to pay” for failing to back Israel.
Court, who holds a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, said she was “shocked” by how little Holocaust history Australian students learn and arranged a testimony event at her Perth church featuring a descendant of a survivor. “We need to stand with the Jewish people and with that small nation,” she said, adding, “I will not apologize for my views.”
Criticism of Canberra’s stance
Court voiced disappointment with Australia’s recent approach to the Israel–Hamas war, saying the government has not shown sufficiently clear support for Israel during a period of relentless attacks on Jews worldwide. She called for
Her remarks came amid reports that antisemitic incidents in Australia have reached record levels this year, including physical assaults, vandalism, graffiti, and harassment, according to community data summarized this week.
Court said the lack of robust Holocaust education in Australian schools motivated her to host a learning event at her Pentecostal church in Perth, aiming to expose her community to survivor testimony and the history of the Shoah.
Despite her achievements, Court has long faced criticism for statements on LGBTQ rights and marital equality, including a 2017 call to boycott Qantas over its support for same-sex marriage. Activists have periodically urged Tennis Australia to remove her name from a major court at the Australian Open.
Wider Australian context
Recently, police opened investigations into large-scale anti-Israel graffiti at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, while Jewish leaders have described a climate of intimidation since October 7. Universities earlier this year adopted a formal working definition of antisemitism to guide responses on campus.
“I have always lived by my beliefs, and I am not going to apologize,” Court said.