Pressure mounts on Randwick councillor over post
Mayor condemns 'antisemitic and hateful' social media activity as Veitch sidesteps questions
Randwick City Mayor Dylan Parker has condemned a fellow councillor for liking a social media post calling for the globalisation of the intifada in the wake of the Chanukah massacre at Bondi Beach.
Greens councillor and former mayor Philipa Veitch reportedly clicked “like” on a post by Teachers for Palestine NSW that read “No to genocide in Gaza. Globalise the intifada.”
The AJN has seen screenshots appearing to confirm the post was liked by Veitch.
In a statement to the AJN, Mayor Parker said he took the matter”extremely seriously.
“Recently, I learned that Councillor Veitch liked an Instagram post containing what I believe to be an antisemitic and hateful phrase,” Cr Parker said.
“I have spoken with Councillor Veitch and have requested that it be removed. At a bare minimum, Ms Veitch should apologise.
“I want to be clear that the sentiment in the post is not shared by Randwick City Council. On behalf of Council, I strongly condemn this action.”
Cr Parker said endorsing such content was incompatible with the responsibilities of elected officials.
“Our community has the right to feel safe and be safe. Endorsing a social media post with this phrase is completely inconsistent with the responsibility of elected councillors to uphold that safety.
“I am considering all options available to me, including lodging a formal complaint under the Council’s Code of Conduct.”
Cr Veitch responded to a series of questions from the AJN about the social media post with a statement that addressed none of them.
“The attack on the Jewish community at the Chanukah celebration in Bondi on December 15 was a horrific act of antisemitic violence which I condemn to the fullest extent,” she said.
“I send my deepest sympathies to the Jewish community following this abhorrent attack, and stand in solidarity with you and with all communities impacted by hate, discrimination, violence and war.”
Fellow Randwick councillor Daniel Rosenfeld of the Liberal Party told the AJN he saw the liked post on Sunday, December 21, exactly one week after the deadly attack at Bondi.
“I was greatly disappointed that she would share that phrase, because basically it means to threaten the Jewish community on a global scale,” Cr Rosenfeld said.
“I see that phrase as horrifying, and there have been attacks on Jewish people around the world. And certainly that was seen in Bondi on December 14.”
Cr Rosenfeld said liking a post amounts to endorsing its message.
“When you like a tweet, you’re basically endorsing what that tweet says. So, yeah, that is serious.”
He said community members have expressed their anger and despair, with both Jewish and non-Jewish residents voicing their disgust.
Cr Rosenfeld said he understands some community members are preparing to lodge code of conduct complaints with the council’s general manager, with some believed to have been lodged already. An online petition has also been circulated.
“She definitely should face the consequences of a code of conduct complaint,” he said.
Cr Veitch has restricted comments on her Facebook page following the massacre. Posts on her page expressed sorrow at what had happened on Bondi Beach.
This is not the first time Cr Veitch has faced scrutiny over her stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. In August, while serving as Mayor of Randwick, she survived a motion of no confidence after Liberal Party councillors moved to censure her for speaking at a pro-Palestinian rally.
Cr Rosenfeld, who moved that motion, said at the time that Cr Veitch had made “inflammatory” comments at the rally.
“She mentioned Israel murdering babies, among other things,” he said.
The motion was defeated 10 votes to five after Greens and Labor councillors combined to vote against it.
It was amended to remove the vote of no confidence and became a motion condemning antisemitism and Islamophobia and acknowledging the council’s role in promoting community cohesion.
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