Attorney-General alerted
It comes as well over 1300 members of the Jewish community have signed an online petition (change.org/stop-the-antisemitism) urging authorities to crack down on the items.
Victoria’s Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes is set to consider what action can be taken to prevent the sale and display of deeply hurtful and virulently antisemitic material at the weekly anti-Israel rallies in the CBD.
It comes as well over 1300 members of the Jewish community have signed an online petition (change.org/stop-the-antisemitism) urging authorities to crack down on the items, which include placards depicting Nazi flags with the swastika replaced by the Star of David and posters showing Third Reich rallies, with the swastikas on banners and armbands again replaced with Stars of David, alongside the slogan “Same same”.
Other offensive material includes clothing on sale that appears to bear the logo of Hamas, a proscribed terror organisation, and placards glorifying armed terrorists with the chilling slogan “By any means necessary”.
Lamenting that the material is “promoting hate, supporting terrorism and inciting violence”, the petition launched by Zionism Victoria (ZV), states, “Enough is enough. It’s time for the government and police to crack down on the manufacture, distribution and display of these heinous items.”
“With antisemitism reaching unprecedented levels in Victoria, the authorities must take action,” a ZV statement accompanying the online petition read.
“Recent rallies have seen an escalation of hate, with posters depicting Nazi flags and Nazi rallies – with a Star of David in place of a swastika.”
Referencing the IHRA definition, the statement added, “This is not only deeply offensive and profoundly hurtful to the Jewish community, it’s also a blatant case of antisemitism.”
Having written to Premier Jacinta Allan calling for authorities to take action, ZV received a response from Acting Premier Ben Carroll.
Reiterating that the Premier has made clear “there is no place for antisemitism in Victoria”, Carroll wrote, “I note with concern the materials you have provided, and I have referred this matter to the Attorney-General for appropriate action.”
ZV president Yossi Goldfarb had stated in his letter that posters and merchandise he referred to breach the IHRA definition of antisemitism which the Victorian government adopted two years ago.
One poster showed a Hamas terrorist brandishing an automatic weapon, with the slogan “By any means necessary”. The ZV president had identified a Melbourne business, Free Palestine Printing, as the source of the materials.
ZV has requested an urgent meeting with Symes to ensure robust and uncompromising measures are swiftly implemented.
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