Sydney’s Jewish community comes together in solidarity
Speakers included federal Health Minister Mark Butler, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, NSW Premier Chris Minns and NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman
Sydney’s Jewish community came together amid a sea of blue and white flags in support of Israel on Wednesday night.
More than 9000 people attended the event, which was held at Rodney Reserve in Dover Heights. The thousands-strong crowd sang, cheered and came together in solidarity, prayer and a hope for peace at the event co-hoisted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (JBD), Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), Zionist Council of NSW and Zionist Federation of Australia.
“Our hearts are full of pain and agony,” JBD president David Ossip proclaimed.
“We are gathered as proud Australian Jews, as Zionists, in sheer horror and what has befallen our people. We gather here, the Jewish people, to strengthen one another, to fortify one another, and to publicly send a message that will travel across the vast oceans to the land of Israel. That though we may be far away, our hearts and our prayers are with the people of Israel.
“This, my friends is a battle between humanity and depravity, between humanity and barbarism. And it’s a battle in which Israel will fight and she will win, and we will be right behind her.”
ECAJ President Jillian Segal said the events of the weekend “have demonstrated to the whole world that when Hamas proclaims that it intends to obliterate Israel and its Jewish population, it means what it says”.
“Hamas and its backer in Terhran, like ISIS, have once again proven that they are utterly lacking in any concept of the sanctity of human life. There can be no compromise, no accomodation with these psychopaths,” she said.
“But we are all filled with a new resolve and a hardened determination. We are fortified by the outpouring of sympathy and support for Israel and our Jewish community from our political leaders, other ethnic and faith communities and hundreds of good people from all across Australia.”
She added, “We call on all fair minded people and our political representatives to join with us in demanding the immediate safe return of the hostages. And we all resolve to support Israel now and ongoingly to the utmost, spiritually, and materially to the best of our abilities.
“And we also demand that those who burned the Israeli flag at the Opera House on Monday night, and spewed disgraceful, anti semitic slogans be identified and dealt with according to the law.”
Representing the Prime Minister, federal Health Minister Mark Butler said Hamas’ acts of “deliberate terror are an affront to everything Australians hold dear and stand for”.
“Tonight we meet in the shadow of utterly barbaric attacks on Israel by Hamas. Babies, children, mums and dads, slaughtered in their own homes, in their own bedrooms, the taking of hostages, including children and babies,” he said.
“These are the acts of terrorists. They are utterly abhorrent. We condemn them unequivocally, and we stand in solidarity. I express my deepest sympathies to those who have been impacted by these appalling acts of terror.
“Just as we stand for the state and the people of Israel, we stand with the Australian Jewish community.”
Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told those gathered, “As I look out to the audience tonight, I see young people and old people, young girls in tears, emotion, but an absolute determination – a steadfast determination – to make sure that we stay together, that we stare down the barbarity, that we rise up, and we support those in their darkest hour.
“Hamas has a moral equivalence with ISIL – not with Israel, not with the Jews, and not with people of good faith.
“What we know of the Jewish people is their determination, their ability to never give in, to always stick together. And we will always stand with the people of Israel: as a country, as a people.”
NSW Premier Chris Minns said, “Scripture tells us that God made three promises to Abraham. The promise of a homeland, the promise that his children would be a nation, and the promise that through his descendants and this nation, his children would be blessed.
“It takes great faith, to believe in that promise of God, when witnessing the cruelty and suffering the children of Abraham suffered in the land of Israel in the last week.”
Referencing the heinous demonstration by a pro-Hamas mob at the Opera House on Monday night, he added, “And it is with eternal sorrow that I acknowledge that some of that hatred we’re seeing in your own city and I’m deeply, deeply sorry for it.
“I don’t want to live in a world where that happens and I won’t live in a state where that is allowed to happen.”
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman lamented that “at a time when we think that the world has never been more sophisticated … it is just unimaginable that we are still seeing depravity of the scale and depth that we have witnessed in the last few days”.
“There is no choice that any public figure of any decency can make other than to support Israel in its time of need,” he said.
“The barbarity the depravity we have witnessed in the last few days is just unimaginable. It’s inexcusable, and we unequivocally condemn it.
“We mourn those who have lost their lives, and may their memory be a blessing.”
Embassy of Israel spokesperson Ilana Link addressed the event by video, stating, “The history of the millennia has proven two things to our people. First, regardless of the time in place, there will always be those who will brutally pursue our destruction. Second, our bond of nationhood of faith cannot be broken, no matter what forces are up against us.
“These are terrible dark days. This is a war we do not seek. We did not want. But it is a war we will win. Israel needs the world to stand with us. The community here in Australia is doing just that. No words can describe our gratitude for your overwhelming support over the past few days.”
Moving musical moments were provided by a number of prominent communal cantors, as well as musicians Ilan Kidron and Hylton Chilchik, singing to the backing of the band Chutney.
The event ended with a singalong of “Yerushalayim shel Zahav” (Jerusalem of Gold), “Oseh Shalom” and a moving rendition of Hatikvah.
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