MP wearing kippah
"That terrible day has unearthed antisemitic hatred in so many places around the world. I'm heartbroken to say that also includes Australia."
Federal Member for Berowra Julian Leeser is wearing a kippah this week in Parliament as a statement against antisemitism.
The Jewish MP said on Facebook the October 7 Hamas attacks “represented the most despicable and sadistic actions against Jewish people since the Holocaust”.
“That terrible day has unearthed antisemitic hatred in so many places around the world. I’m heartbroken to say that also includes Australia,” he said.
“The world witnessed the terrible events at the Sydney Opera House where ‘gas the Jews’ was chanted. Meanwhile, NSW Police who told Jewish people to stay home that night are yet to lay any charges regarding that hate speech. Elsewhere, Jewish school children have been told not to wear their uniforms on public transport.
“At many universities, which are the new hotbed of antisemitism in Australia, Jewish students [report] they do not feel safe.”
Leeser lamented the violent demonstrations in Caulfield last Friday night that forced Central Shule to cancel services, and the bikie demonstration through Sydney suburbs and streets with large Jewish populations.
“We are witnessing a campaign of fear that is so out of keeping with the ethos of our land.
“Jewish people are being advised to not ‘advertise’ their Jewish identity. Not to wear a kippah or school uniforms, to be wary of where they gather, and to invest in security. I cannot walk down this path of silence and fear, particularly as a small number of Greens parliamentarians are feeding this hatred,” Leeser said.
“This week, I intend to wear my kippah throughout the parliamentary sittings, as a reminder that there are places in this country where even doing that is inviting danger and risk.
“As Australians, we must stand for each other’s freedoms.”
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