More than 500 combat hatred with love
500 people gathered at nearby Customs House in Circular Quay, and waved Israeli flags, at a peaceful and heartwarming ‘United by Love’ event.
Exactly one year on from the infamous October 9 anti-Israel riots in the Sydney Opera House forecourt that featured anti-semitic chants and the burning of Israeli flags, about 500 people gathered at nearby Customs House in Circular Quay, and waved Israeli flags, at a peaceful and heartwarming ‘United by Love’ event, organised by Never Again Is Now founder Mark Leach.
Rabbi Yossi Friedman recited prayers, started an Am Yisrael Chai singalong, and shared his experience of what happened on that evening, 12 months before, in Sydney’s CBD.
“We, as a Jewish community, were told not to go [to the city to watch the Opera House sails be illuminated in blue and white] because the pro-Hamas terrorist supporters were going to be demonstrating at the Opera House,” he said, adding by that point, he was already on his way with his children, but settled for a distant vantage point in the Botanic Gardens.
“Very disturbing to us was when we could see the flames, and we could hear the [antisemitic] chants, and the hatred, all the way from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, and at some point, I said to my kids, it’s actually time to go, and we left.
“We were crying, because what was supposed to be for the Jewish community, a night of pride and unity in Australia, ended up being, as we know, a night of hatred.
“And that’s why we are here tonight, on the anniversary, to say that ‘never again is now’.”
Ofir Birenbaum told the crowd, “We all saw the scenes at the Opera House [on October 9] . . . it wasn’t for a ‘free Palestine’ . . . it was for bloodthirsty hate, and no-one can deny that”.
“And that was the last time that I stayed home because I was too afraid to be Jewish outside.
“We are peaceful, we’re proud Australians, and there’s absolutely no reason we cannot be here.
“And the right for our safety trumps their right to protest . . . we deserve to be safe in our streets.”
Michelle Zwar recalled how she and her daughter had settled, for safety reasons, to go to the international cruise ship terminal, across the water from the Opera House precinct.
She said as they walked there “we could see, exactly parallel to us, the front of the sea of darkness that was coming down George Street, and we heard the chants loud and clear.
“We watched, we cried, and we felt a lot of pain that we could not have this moment.
“So, being here [at this event] tonight means all the difference.”
Among several other powerful speeches was one by a Sydney grandmother, whose children’s first cousin was murdered by Hamas terrorists.
She said, “on October 9, she heard and saw the protesters near the Opera House “taking control, lighting flames to scare the Mounted Police, and burning [Israeli] flags”.
“On October 9, if you were here, and they called, ‘where’s the Indians . . . where’s the Christians . . . where’s the Australians . . . how would you feel?
“When Sydney lost its innocence on October 9, I was here.”
Leach offered some reassuring words.
“The vast majority of everyday Australians stand with Israel, and support the Jewish people,” he said.
“You are not alone. We will keep Australia a safe and free and tolerant and inclusive society.
“We are going to push back the hate with love.”
After the event, which was an authorised gathering, a handful of attendees walked towards the Opera House hoping to take some selfies, and quietly reflect, but the walkway to the forecourt was fenced off by police, and dozens of police officers were patrolling the precinct.
Unable to enter the forecourt, Birenbaum and Rabbi Friedman settled for standing near the fence, and briefly raising an Israeli flag.
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