Published: 15 October 2024
Last updated: 15 October 2024
Australia's declining social cohesion was illustrated in a spate of incidents over the past few days.
- Avner’s Bakery in Surry Hills, Sydney, was vandalised with a red triangle, a Hamas symbol to identify Jewish targets, and a threatening note was left for the owner, former TV chef Ed Halmagyi.
- The electorate office of Australia's envoy for social cohesion, Labor MP Peter Khalil, was sprayed with red paint and potentially hazardous chemicals, and marked with a red triangle.
- Sydney restaurateur Alan Yazbek, owner of Nomad, was charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public after holding a sign at a Sydney rally with a swastika in place of the Star of David and the words “Stop Nazi Israel”.
- Victoria Police are investigating another case of an unidentified man who held up a sign depicting a swastika at a pro-Palestinian rally in Melbourne last Sunday.
- A white supremacist rally was held in the NSW country town of Corowa.
- Thousands attended pro-Palestinian rallies across the country, with Brisbane holding its largest rally so far.
Most Australians have expressed disapproval of the importation of tensions from the Middle East into Australia. A survey by The Age/SMH last week found only 8% of Australians want authorities to allow protests and marches supporting Palestine, while only 7% want similar events in favour of Israel, and another 26% accept protests for either side of the war.
An increasing number of Australians believe the protests have made Australia less safe (45% compared with 36% in the weeks after the October 7 attack last year).
In Melbourne, lord mayoral candidates, CBD business owners and residents have expressed frustration at the constant disruption caused by weekly protests, which they say may damage the city’s international reputation.
Comments1
Max18 October at 07:26 am
Appalling headline connecting refugees with antisemitism. TJI should be ashamed for parroting right wing racist talking points