Mayoral candidate addresses the Jewish community
The councillor highlighted recent incidents that have shaken Melbourne's Jewish community.
The Melbourne City councillor who last year moved a controversial motion to support a ceasefire in Gaza has now chosen to speak out against antisemitism.
In an op-ed piece for The AJN – which is available in full in our online edition – councillor Jamal Hakim, who is now running for mayor, has issued a call to action against what he calls the rising tide of hate speech and discrimination in the city.
In February this year, he moved a motion to have the City Council ask the federal government to call for a permanent ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages and imprisoned Palestinians, and advocacy for “an end to illegal Israeli settlements and the illegal occupation of Palestinian territories”.
The council was split on the motion, however; with five councillors voting for it and five against with then-deputy lord mayor Nicholas Reece casting the deciding vote against.
Members of Melbourne’s Jewish community say they were shoved to the ground and labelled “genocidal baby killers” outside the town hall as the vote was taken.
Hakim, an Australian of Lebanese descent who is a member of the LGBTQI community, has addressed the Jewish community in his online article, saying: “While we don’t always agree, and in fact don’t need to, it’s important that we create space for shared facts and a common sense of humanity.”
He said antisemitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and other forms of bigotry are not isolated issues; they are interconnected and require a unified response.
The councillor highlighted recent incidents that have shaken Melbourne’s Jewish community.
He mentioned the vandalism of a Chabad synagogue in Balaclava, where “Stop the Jews” was spray-painted on a billboard during a period of religious observation, describing it as “a stark reminder of the threats faced by the Jewish community”.
Hakim also drew attention to the antisemitic bullying at Brighton Secondary College, which left many students feeling unsafe, underscoring the need for comprehensive measures to combat discrimination in our schools.
He called for a united front against all forms of hatred.
He said he wants to prevent communities from being “pitted against each other by those who seek to exploit divisions for political gain”.
The AJN believes this is the first time someone identified with the pro-Palestine cause has attempted to seriously address antisemitism.
Hakim’s entire article can be read in The AJN online edition: australianjewishnews.com
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