Published: 15 August 2024
Last updated: 16 August 2024
Editor's note: Police were called to a council meeting in Sydney's Inner West on Tuesday night after council members were trapped in the building by pro-Palestinian campaigners. The campaigners became aggressive after a motion censuring Israel and calling for a ceasefire in Gaza was narrowly defeated.
The case is not anomalous. Local government has become a major battleground for Israel-Palestine issues, aggravating a hostile environment for Jews in suburbs with few Jews. This article offers a personal reflection on that impact.
My children and grandchildren live in a northern Melbourne suburb. Travelling from my home in Caulfield to visit them over the past few months has distressed me.
Late last year, the Greens-dominated Darebin Council took down the Aboriginal flag that had flown for years above chambers and raised a Palestinian flag in its place.
Darebin Council's extended substitution contravenes the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet protocols governing flags on the three poles above Council buildings, which detail the display of Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. The Council’s action is disrespectful to Darebin’s and Victoria’s many Aboriginal citizens.
Unlike the Aboriginal flag, the Palestinian flag does not represent residents or express community diversity. According to the 2016 census (the latest available statistics), there were 772 people born in Gaza or the West Bank in the whole of Victoria, about 86% of whom were Australian citizens.
Flying the flag of another country or disputed territory on a council building is the opposite of encouraging social cohesion and inclusivity. That is the experience of my family in a suburb with few Jews and strong support for Palestinians.
Comments7
Kelli25 February at 03:09 am
Wow, I didn’t have to read too much to know that we share the same sentiments.
Last night I watched on YouTube the disgraceful Darebin Council Meeting that was literally hijacked, aggressively by activists pushing their agenda.
My mum has been a rate payer in the vicinity for over 60 years, as were my grandparents. My mum doesn’t want the flag flying and neither do I.
I’m so disgusted that Hamas supporters are pandered to. It’s an insult to Jewish people that have lived harmoniously in our country for decades. I really wish something would be done.
Rate payers money should be invested into the municipality. Fixing some footpaths would be a great start. Not supporting activist groups that act as if they run everything.
I stand with Israel.
MickeyB20 October at 04:41 am
As you said:
“Flying a (Palestinian) flag on a Council building, intimidates Jewish people and leads them to feel unwelcome and even afraid.”
Of course it does, that is the point of doing it. This will of course be denied, but being disingenuous and gaslighting is all part of their agenda of misinformation.
Wilson De Silver2 September at 05:02 am
Local Government is exactly that !
There is no rationale for engaging in any affairs outside of the designated Local Government area. Those councillors whom do so are negligent in their duties to those that voted for them. A disgrace to the role of councillor. Should they wish to assist terrorist groups, organisations best they go join them and experience first hand the lack of freedom along with the barbaric practices of same .
Kati Haworth19 August at 01:33 am
A reasoned article, Hilary. But I think you may find that not only Jews are intimidated by the flying of a flag associated with a terrorist group. I recognise that the flag of the Palestinian people is not the flag of Hamas, but Hamas does rule a large number of Palestinians and it is difficult to disassociate that flag from their government, if government can be a description for the role of Hamas in Gaza. I think we need to broaden the conversation and recognise that not only Jews may be intimidated by the flag and protests.
Jane Wilkinson18 August at 03:53 am
Hi Hilary, I’m Jewish Israeli background and live in nearby Alphington. I know how your Mum feels. Happy to catch up with her if she wants a supportive neighbour
Ian Grinblat15 August at 07:29 am
Well articulated, Hilary.
Now, what should we do?
We need to turn our discomfort back onto the Greens by pursuing their candidates with questions that will expose their ‘local’ and ‘environmental’ concerns as window dressing to conceal their real intention of challenging the authority of duly elected state and federal governments.
We also need to campaign for a more nearly perfect representative method of counting Senate votes.
Shirlee15 August at 07:12 am
Why is the flag of a non-existent country permitted to be flown, given government ruling?
“The Australian Government’s policy in relation to the flying of other nations’ flags is to fly only the official flags of nations recognised by Australia.”
There is no such country, so how can it be recognised?