‘Check your council candidate’
Jewish community leaders have urged voters to research their preferred candidate for pro-Palestinian activism.
As postal votes for council elections dropped into mailboxes, Jewish community leaders have urged voters to research their preferred candidate for pro-Palestinian activism.
In Stonnington, two candidates have pledged to the ‘We Vote for Palestine’ campaign, as have Greens candidates in Yarra. Pro-Palestinian activists are also contesting elections in Darebin and Merri-Bek.
Further afield, 11 candidates have committed to Free Palestine Geelong, each pledging to support council motions denouncing “Israel’s occupation, apartheid and genocidal war” and promoting BDS.
Candidate Tom Gant, apparently confused about the definition of Zionism, stated, “I want to be clear from my own personal standpoint, I’m not anti-Israel. What I don’t agree with is Zionism.”
Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson posted, “Local councillors should be concerned about putting the community first, consistent with the core responsibilities of local government, not using council as a Trojan horse to advance their hateful anti-Israel agenda.”
Advising voters to vet their preferred candidate, Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) president Philip Zajac said, “A small number of council candidates are using the upcoming local council elections to grandstand on issues completely unrelated to local government, like the Israel-Hamas conflict. The JCCV urges all council candidates to focus on issues that fall within the local government remit and to consider how agitating on international issues may impact social cohesion.
“If voters are concerned with the conduct of a council candidate, they can lodge a complaint with the Victorian Local Government Inspectorate. If candidates are being intimidated or threatened in any way, they should report this conduct to Victoria Police.”
Dean Hurleston, president of Council Watch, told The AJN political activism at this year’s elections is off the charts, even outpacing 2020, when COVID issues were at the forefront.
“We keep seeing councillors and candidates straying into areas that are not the role of local government … There is nothing any councillor can do to change the course of any global conflict.”
Speaking to The AJN, Marcia Griffin, a two-term councillor in Stonnington, said, “Councils should not be engaged in international politics” or campaigns on issues often related to violence and intimidation. She noted that under local government legislation, they are obligated “to ensure the community’s safety”.
A survey of metropolitan council candidates by The Age found that 48 per cent believed candidates should stick to “the three Rs – roads, rates, rubbish”. However, among candidates in inner suburban councils, 72 per cent believed in stances on “topics such as Gaza, antisemitism and Australia Day”.
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