Anti-Israel motion fails in Northern Beaches

An anti-Israel motion about the conflict in Gaza, penned by Greens councillor Ethan Hrnjak, failed to pass at a June 17 Northern Beaches Council meeting, in which the city’s mayor, Sue Heins, described the motion’s nature and timing as “abhorrent”.

Elements of the five-point motion, seconded by Cr Miranda Korzy, included that the council supports “an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza (Palestine)”, without including any preconditions, such as the release of all hostages, or the disarmament of Hamas.

The motion also expressed support for “work and advocacy” done by the Northern Beaches Committee for Palestine, and that the council, through its procurement program, “satisfy itself that it does not conduct business with companies listed by the United Nations as complicit in human rights violations in Gaza”.

The motion was lost when it only received 4 votes out of 15 in favour.
There were 3 votes against, and 8 abstentions.

After the decision, there was a round of applause from people in the public gallery.

During debate on the matter, Mayor Heins, who abstained, said, “I was horrified when I saw this notice of motion . . . I just find this whole thing abhorrent, I really do”.

“I find it very challenging to say (as a council), let’s pick a side [in the conflict], because that’s what I feel like has happened here with this particular notice of motion in the first place.

“The horrifying part of all this, for me, is that you’re either voting for or against a side, and I don’t want to be voting at all, because this is a complex situation.”

Cr Vincent De Luca said “I think the motion, apart from dealing with something where you have to take sides, also is exceptionally insensitive”, and could risk fuelling “unnecessary conflict” in the Northern Beaches community.

“We, as local representatives, are expected to deal with the matters that matter to our community.

“The correspondence alone, and telephone calls, that we have received, show that our community don’t want us debating in a mere three minutes [each], what is before us tonight.

“It is time to draw a line in the sand, and for the Minister [for Local Government] to properly regulate to make sure that issues like this will not become a monthly occurrence.”

Cr Nicholas Beaugeard commented, “What the hell is this doing, coming before the local government, where it’s got no place to be?”.

He added, “As a councillor, I take pride in making fact-based decisions.

“This motion concerns a foreign conflict, the council does not have access to verified intelligence, and we [councillors] do not get briefings on this matter.

“And when I hear that some members of our community – be they Jewish , Muslim, or otherwise – feel unsafe or afraid, simply because of how this vote may be perceived, I am deeply concerned.

“And that’s why I’ll be abstaining tonight.”

Cr Korzy urged other councillors “to actually show some gumption and stand up against this genocide”.

Cr Hrnjak claimed, “The State of Israel is committing genocide against innocent civilians caught in a terrible conflict, most of whom are Palestinians”, yet the only source he provided to back up his claim – in a ‘background’ piece accompanying his motion as published in the meeting’s business paper – was a reference to a report by Amnesty International.

Debate became heated when Cr Hrnjak was asked by the mayor to withdraw his comment: “It is not a vote of which side to support, but if you want me to give you two sides, I can – you’re either pro-genocide or against genocide”.

Cr De Luca replied, “That is an exceptionally offensive comment, and I ask the councillor to withdraw it, and apologise to all councillors in this chamber”.

Cr Heins advised, “Cr Hrnjak, I know you’re passionate, but please withdraw that – you really have no idea how much you’ve hurt [people] from what you’ve just said”.

Cr Hrnjak said, “I agree to withdraw that, but recognise that it is considered a genocide – but I’ll leave it at that”.

Prior to the councillors debating the motion, four members of the public addressed the chamber – two speaking against the motion, and two for it.
Michael Gencher – executive director of Stand With Us Australia, and a former Northern Beaches councillor – said told the councillors, “Tonight, you’re being asked to consider a motion that is politically driven, factually flawed, and completely outside the remit of this chamber”.

He added, the item was “an insult to every ratepayer who expects this council to focus on local matters.

“On a night when you should be focused on local matters, you are instead wasting time on an anti-Israel motion.”

Referring to the motion’s call for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, Gencher said the motion failed to mention that Hamas has rejected three internationally-brokered ceasefires, which Israel had agreed to.

“Hamas does not want peace, and ignoring that reality isn’t just naïve, it’s dangerous,” he said.

Gencher slammed the third clause of the motion, describing it effectively as calling on council to implement “a BDS-styled boycott”.

He added, “There are over 120 global conflicts producing refugees, yet you [Cr Hrnjak, via his motion] single out one.

Gencher concluded by questioning the motion’s support for advocacy by the Northern Beaches Committee for Palestine.

“It’s about pushing a radical political agenda under the guise of goodwill,” Gencher said.

“It’s not unifying, it’s not truthful, and it’s not what this community is about.”

Dee Why resident Dror Bara’am claimed those who put forward the motion are “completely out of your depth”.

“Anyway . . . I’m here to make this place [the Northern Beaches] my home – I’m not here to support Israel, I’m not here to condemn Palestinians.

“I am here to just tell you guys, let it go – please, let us live [in harmony here].

“It’s a beautiful place, the Northern Beaches, so why would you bring this conflict here?”.

Prior to the council meeting, the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) wrote to all Northern Beaches councillors, and spoke directly to Mayor Heins, to make their concerns about the motion known – especially it including “elements associated with the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign”.

In a statement after the council meeting, JBD said, “Motions of this kind do not foster peace – they import conflict into our local communities, and are designed to divide neighbours, at a time we should be building cohesion.

“Thank you to Michael Gencher, as well as other local leaders who have been making the case to the council.

“We will always stand against hate, and stand up for the safety and dignity of the Jewish community.”

For the record, voting on the motion was as follows.

In favour: Crs Ethan Hrnjak, Miranda Korzy, Kristyn Glanville, Bonnie Harvey.

Against: Crs Vincent De Luca, Mandeep Singh, Robert Giltinan.

Abstained or left the chamber: Crs Sue Heins, Rowie Dillon, Sarah Grattan, Nicholas Beaugeard, Jody Williams, Ruth Robins, Joeline Hackman, Candy Bingham.