Jewish groups seek to block Opera House protest

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD) and Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) have joined the fight at the NSW Supreme Court to stop anti-Israel protests planned to end at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday October 12.

The peak Jewish organisations submitted an amicus brief challenging the proposed location of the protest, amid escalating antisemitism in NSW and following last week’s terror attack targeting Jews in a Manchester synagogue which killed two worshippers.

JBD president David Ossip said the demonstration “cannot be allowed to proceed”.

“Two years ago, whilst innocent Israelis were still being massacred, raped and taken hostage, protesters defiled our iconic Opera House with celebrations and antisemitic chants. Now – at a time when Israel and the Arab and Islamic world have embraced a comprehensive peace plan to end the war – these protesters want to return to the Opera House to continue their demonisation of Israel and the Jewish community,” he said.

“This has never been about the Palestinians or peace. For these activists who have systematically torn our society apart, it has always been about their deep and irrational hatred of Israel. If they truly cared about peace, they would be on the streets demanding Hamas accept the peace plan. Instead, there is complete silence from pro-Palestinian groups and the Greens. Their hypocrisy is deafening, and their true motivations are clear.”