Teacher to take leave
QJBD thanked Brigidine College for its leadership and ongoing commitment to combatting antisemitism.
Brisbane Catholic school Brigidine College has asked its director of arts to take leave after she made controversial comments about Israel during an acceptance speech at the Queensland Music Awards.
Principal Brendan Cahill informed parents and carers that Kellee Green, a musician who received an award for her instrumental composition “River to Sea”, had been asked to step aside following political statements she made about the conflict in the Middle East.
The Courier-Mail reported that during her acceptance speech at the awards last week, Green accused the Australian government of being “complicit in war crimes by supporting Israel both in words and actions by allowing the export of weapons … to directly kill innocent Palestinian men, women and children”.
Cahill wrote in a letter to the school community that “the College does not condone the statements made by Mrs Green”.
He confirmed Green had agreed to take leave while the College sought “further information on the comments made by Mrs Green at the awards and her personal musical recordings”. He also noted Green had told him that “she has not made political statements to students”.
“When we were informed about this matter, I contacted Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies’ [QJBD] Jason Steinberg to express our College’s support and to thank him for our ongoing relationship,” Mr Cahill wrote, adding that the school values its “connection with the Jewish community” and is “proud of our Holocaust educational program”.
The QJBD for its part thanked Brigidine College “for their strong leadership and their ongoing commitment to combatting antisemitism”.
“We truly value our long-time friendship with Brigidine,” the state roof body said on social media.
Last week, the QJBD condemned the Queensland Music Awards for honouring Green for her piece, saying it promotes antisemitic rhetoric.
“The phrase ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ is not a benign slogan but an explicit call for the eradication of Israel,” the QJBD said in a statement. “It is a rallying cry for Hamas, a terrorist organisation responsible for the massacre of 1200 people and the abduction of over 250 hostages on 7 October, 2023.”
Green reportedly described her piece as being inspired by what she terms “years of Israeli genocide” and has encouraged boycotts against Israel.
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