As an Israeli, I can no longer support this Australian charity

When refusing to condemn Hamas is politically acceptable, the values of an organisation have been distorted, writes ORI GOLAN.

I firmly believe in the mission of the Asylum Seekers Centre, which is why I decided to attend its 30-year anniversary celebration at the end of November.

The evening included an extraordinary line-up of refugees who have achieved amazing things. From unpromising beginnings, these individuals have become active and successful members of Australia’s multi-ethnic community. I was beaming.

Then the founding director of Sweatshop Literacy Movement, Michael Mohammed Ahmad, took to the stage. He was wearing a keffiyeh, a symbol associated with Palestinian nationalism. I braced myself for what would come next.

"I am expected to condemn Hamas, I know. But I won't.” And with this opening gambit, he launched into an anti-Israel diatribe, citing statistics of deaths in Gaza. Each statistic prompted audible gasps from the audience.

There was no mention of the context in which the ongoing war in Gaza is being waged; not a single word condemning the heinous acts of violence, including murders, mutilations, and rapes perpetrated by Hamas terrorists against defenceless civilians. No mention of the innocent Israeli hostages kidnapped into Gaza. Just a stream of pro-Palestinian propaganda.

I sat there, stunned, as the speaker continued the impassioned monologue. At one point, he posed a rhetorical question: "Did you know that one in every three refugees in the world is Palestinian?" More gasps from the audience. (He omitted to mention that this staggering statistic stems from the fact that all descendants of Palestinian refugees are recognised as refugees themselves.)