Dan Murphy’s store, Jewish schools targeted
Anti-Defamation Commission: "To attack a Jewish institution in order to express a hatred against Israel is antisemitic."
DAN Murphy’s has stressed that “discrimination and racism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our business” after stickers calling to “Boycott Israeli Apartheid” were discovered on a number of kosher wines made in Israel sold at one of its stores in Melbourne.
It comes amid three incidents in Melbourne of anti-Israel graffiti being daubed on Jewish institutions in the last week.
The discovery was made last Wednesday by a Jewish man in his 50s whose late grandparents were Holocaust survivors, shopping at the branch in East Brighton.
When the individual alerted staff, the stickers were immediately removed.
In a statement following the incident, a spokesperson for Dan Murphy’s said this appeared to be “an isolated incident”, noting, “We didn’t authorise the placement of these stickers.
“We want everyone to feel welcome and be treated with respect in our stores,” the spokesperson said.
“Our code of conduct makes it clear to all team members that discrimination and racism is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our business. We expect the same from our customers.”
Welcoming the retailer’s “strong statement” that “sends the unmistakable message that antisemitism will never find a haven in any Dan Murphy’s stores”, Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) chairman Dvir Abramovich told The AJN, “This is a reminder that companies have a commitment and a responsibility to speak against the abhorrent scourge of Jewish hatred in all its forms and support the Jewish community as allies.”
Meanwhile, parents dropping their kids to school noticed the words “Free Palestine” daubed along the driveway of the ultra-Orthodox Cheder Levi Yitzchok school on Chapel Street last Friday morning.
On Tuesday this week, the Rabbinical College of Australia was also targeted, with the words “Free Palenstine” (sic) graffitied outside.
And on Wednesday, The AJN reported that the words “Israel = aparthied” were daubed outside Beth Rivkah Ladies College.
“To attack a Jewish institution in order to express a hatred against Israel is antisemitic, and these activists have torn up the rule book of decency and are now targeting Jewish schools with their vicious propaganda and calls to destroy Israel,” Abramovich said.
Anyone with information should contact CSG on 1300 000 CSG (274).
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