Demonstrators fail to disrupt synagogue
"You are not social justice warriors" says Zionism Victoria
A protest outside of Melbourne synagogue on Monday night which organisers claimed to have cancelled saw a handful of protesters turn up anyway.
The synagogue had been scheduled to host a planned talk on Israel’s challenges and opportunities in the new Middle East, organised by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council and the United Israel Appeal Victoria.
The 20 or so protesters who attempted to get to Caulfeild Shule were outnumbered by an exuberant crowd of around 200 Jews.
They were stopped by police a few blocks from the synagogue during evening prayers.
The talk had been moved from Caulfeild Shule to Central Shule earlier in the day, a decision which was kept under wraps.
The crowd of Jews which had gathered outside the synagogue quickly moved to the area where the protestors were and shouted at them to go home.
There was a strong police presence and the protesters eventually left.
A group called Free Palestine Coalition Naarm had urged its supporters on social media to join a “peaceful demonstration against Zionist genocidal, colonial expansion” at the Caulfield Hebrew Congregation.
Panellists in the scheduled event included former chief of the Israeli air force Eitan Ben Eliyahu and former cabinet minister Ayelet Shaked had been supposed to be there in person, but was refused a visa by the government.
But in a social media post on Monday afternoon, the group announced the demonstration had been called off.
They blamed what they called “threats of serious bodily harm against people who want to show up and demonstrate peacefully”.
This followed strong criticism of their plans from various sources.
Zionism Victoria said “When protestors decide to embark on a mission to protest outside a synagogue, you know their mission has failed. You are not social justice warriors, you are breakers of social cohesion”.
In a statement posed on social media, ZV said they were deeply disturbed that protestors were planning to once again come into the heart of the Jewish community to demonstrate outside a major synagogue.
It said “That this should be allowed to go ahead is yet another nail in the coffin of Victorian multiculturalism. The police and authorities should take immediate action to avoid a repeat of the antisemitic incitement and violence of November 2023”.
That incident at Princes Park saw carloads of demonstrators’ clash with police and local Jewish residents, leading to a nearby synagogue being evacuated in the middle of a Friday night service.
Victoria Police said they would provide a visible presence on Monday night to ensure the safety of the community, which they did.
They were also present at Central Shule where the talk was actually held, with apparently no protesters figuring out the venues had been switched.
The member for Caulfield, David Southwick, said targeting Jews at a synagogue is hateful, un-Australian and fundamentally antisemitic.
He said, “The time for excuses is over. The Victorian government needs to draw a line in the sand, show leadership and make sure that this behaviour has consequences”.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said earlier on Monday, “I want to be absolutely clear that there is no place in this state for hateful behaviour, for hateful protesting, for people to attend places with hate in their hearts. There is no place for that in our state”.
Allan said on Tuesday the government would introduce an anti-vilification bill that will strengthen the laws “to make it absolutely clear there is no place for this sort of hateful behaviour anywhere on any street in Victoria”.
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