Australia moves to ban pro-Palestinian slogan and symbols under law carrying up to 2 years in jail

In the wake of the shocking Bondi Beach terror attack, Queensland is set to propose a ban on a pro-Palestinian slogan under the new hate speech reforms announced by the state government. Premier David Crisafulli said on Sunday that the proposed reform will be introduced in state parliament on Tuesday following the attack that killed 15 during a Hanukkah celebration on December 14, 2025.

If passed by the parliament, the legislation will make Queensland the first Australian state to ban the slogan 'from the river to the sea' which has been widely used by pro-Palestinian supporters.

Pro-Palestinian phrases to be banned

The new legislation includes a new offence prohibiting public distribution, publication, display or recitation of proscribed phrases with the aim to cause menace, harassment or offence. Anyone found distributing, publishing, displaying or reciting a prohibited phrase would face a maximum penalty of two years in prison.

The slogan reads as 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free'. It is a reference to the area spreading from the Jordan River in eastern Israel to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, and gained prominence after Israel's retaliatory war on Gaza which began on October 7, 2023.

Another phrase, 'globalise the intifada' will also be included in the proscribed phrases, confirmed the attorney general, Deb Frecklington as per The Guardian. “These sayings have no place in Queensland, when they are used to incite hatred, offence and menace,” she said. The phrase stems from the Arabic word for uprising and is used by pro-Palestine supporters in reference to uprisings against Israel. However, many in the Jewish community have claimed it is a call to violence against them.

New hate speech reforms in Australia

Along with this, the government will also create a new offence for impeding or harassing people in attendance of religious services, with a penalty of three years of imprisonment. For assaulting or threatening a person officiating a religious ceremony the penalties will expand from two to five years, while intentionally damaging a place of worship will carry the maximum sentence of seven years.

The ban on extremist symbols would be extended to include the Hamas flag and emblem, the Islamic State flag, the Hezbollah emblem and Nazi symbols. The penalty for displaying these symbols will increase from six months to two years in prison.

A 'considered' response to the Bondi attack

The government consulted the Crime and Corruption Commission, the Human Rights Commission and Queensland police while drafting the legislation, said Frecklington.

It was a “considered”, “calm” and “detailed” response to the Bondi attack, said Crisafulli. "We didn’t take a kneejerk reaction," he said. "This is about drawing a clear line – and stamping out the embers of hatred that were allowed to burn unchecked for too long – to ensure we protect Queenslanders."

The reforms have been welcomed by the president of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, Jason Steinberg, who said the legislation would make the Jewish community feel safer and help them rebuild the confidence to live their lives. “For the past two and a half years, the Jewish community has endured unprecedented levels of hate, intimidation and fear, and the reforms send a clear message that antisemitism and hate have no place in Queensland,” Steinberg said.

“This bill goes beyond words and delivers real, practical protections for our community and for all people targeted by hate.”

The Bondi Beach attack injured more than 40 people and was the deadliest attack in Australia since the 1996 Port Arthur tragedy which killed 35 people. Two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, making it one of the most hateful and grave antisemitic attacks in the history of the country.