Sydney rally calls government to act on antisemitism
Upper Martin Place in Sydney was full of Aussie flags at a 'Call to Action' on antisemitism gathering on January 21.

On the same day (January 21) a Sydney daycare centre in Maroubra was set ablaze and daubed with antisemitic graffiti, several hundred Jewish and non-Jewish people, holding Australian flags, gathered from 6pm at the upper end of Martin Place, to participate in a grassroots “Call to Action” gathering against antisemitism.
Their message was aimed specifically at the federal government.

Protest organiser and the opening speaker Eitan Franklin was impressed by the large turnout, after revealing that only at 8:30 that morning, a handful of colleagues had come up with the idea for the gathering, and made it happen.
“Look at you all here now – thank you for coming here tonight to support us, and to call on the federal government to act, because enough is enough!” Franklin said.
“Our anthem says ‘we are one and free’, but we are not at the moment – there have been many, many antisemitic incidents over the last month and a half, in Sydney alone.
“I have suffered physical and verbal abuse over the last almost two years . . . why? Because I’m Jewish.
“It’s time for action.
“We know today that the federal government had a national cabinet on antisemitism, but that is not enough – the federal government needs to step up and do more.”

Liberal candidate for Wentworth Ro Knox told the audience, “It is the sacred duty of elected officials – of all our parliamentarians – to provide safe harbour for all our community”.
“And I think we have to ask the questions, why has [federal] Labor, why have the Teals, and certainly why have the Greens, not provided a safe environment for all Australians?”
“We must have action now.”

Shoshana Eisner described the wave of antisemitic incidents in Australia as “an epidemic of hate, of lawlessness, and what I think appears to be sanctioned antisemitism”.
“There is no question that the rate of attacks on Jews is increasing dramatically, more than any group in Australia, and that declaring war on antisemitism so far has not worked – it’s getting worse.”
Emphasising the need for leadership and action, she added, “let us call it [antisemitism] for what it is – racism”.
Together With Israel volunteer Ofir Birenbaum told the crowd, “The time for lip service [to antisemitism] is over, and the time for actions – not just from us, but from our [Australia’s political] leaders – is now”.
“No more press conferences, no more concerned looks, and no more [just saying] ‘this has no place in Australia’.
“Our leaders cannot just throw more money at security, and at a taskforce for this, and a strike force for that – it does not treat the problem, it treats a symptom.
Birenbaum described antisemitic incidents, however small, that are ignored or not take action against, as “a leaking tap, and when you ignore all these leaking taps, you get a flood”.
“So I’m asking [the federal government] once again, what are you going to do about it?”

The peaceful gathering – monitored by police, who were notified by the organisers in advance – also featured recital of prayers by Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton from the nearby Great Synagogue, and concluded with Chloe Biller beautifully singing Oseh Shalom, and the Australian and Israeli national anthems.
Rabbi Elton told the crowd, “In these terrible and hard times, it is good to come together, to stand in solidarity with each other, and to stand for a better Australia”.
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