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Dear Premier Allan and Police Minister Carbines,
We, the undersigned members of the Melbourne Jewish and broader community, are writing to express our distress and objection over the imbalanced approach by police towards Jewish community members and arbitrary restrictions placed on the freedom of movement of Jewish and Israeli supporters since 7 October 2023.
Only a week after the 7 October Hamas-orchestrated massacres, mutilations, rapes and kidnappings, protests supporting “Free Palestine” and Hamas took place in the City of Melbourne. These weekly protests have been a prevalent feature in the city and across Melbourne with signs and slogans including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” which is widely accepted as a call for the elimination of the State of Israel. Other derogatory signs have been carried such as banners describing Israelis as “dumb white dogs”, hostage posters defaced with “Lies” and “BS” scribed across them and the Israeli and Jewish people accused of war crimes and genocide without foundation.
Over the past four months, the Jewish community has consistently heeded the advice and requests of the police to avoid areas where Palestinian protests are taking place including not also protesting in the city centre, the inference being its mere presence would be inflammatory. However, these restrictions are disproportionately affecting our ability to go about our daily lives. The effect is that the rights of people to exercise their democratic freedom of movement and speech are being curtailed to appease an increasingly aggressive and at times violent group of protesters.
This petition focuses on three non-exhaustive events that have occurred since 7 October to highlight the imbalanced police approach towards the Jewish community:
1. Evacuation of the Central Synagogue congregation: 10 November 2023
2. Crowne Plaza hotel protest against Israeli hostage delegation: 29 November 2023
3. Palestinian protest at the Melbourne City Council meeting hearing a motion for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza: 20 February 2024
1. Evacuation of Central Synagogue
Following the firebombing of a Caulfield burger shop and the owner’s claim it was retaliation for his attendance at a Palestinian rally, despite police statements they did not believe it was so-motivated (this ultimately being borne out) 200 pro-Palestinian protesters descended upon the centre of Jewish life in Caulfield on a Friday night opposite a synagogue where 150 congregants were attending for Sabbath prayers. They were aggressive and yelled abuse to the similar number of pro-Israel demonstrators also present. Scuffles ensued. Rather than police dispersing the Palestinian protesters, the evacuation of the synagogue was ordered. The forced abandonment by worshippers of their Friday night prayers due to the threatening behaviour of a pro-Palestinian mob was an egregious injustice. Other Jewish residents nearby were afraid to leave their homes to attend Sabbath dinners or other synagogue services. The threatening mob should have been moved on by police, allowing the worshippers and local residents to practice their faith without fear or intimidation.
2. Crowne Plaza Hotel protest
Families of Israeli hostages were confronted by a pro-Palestinian protest in the lobby of their hotel after returning from an event delivering harrowing accounts of the kidnapping and murders of their loved ones. Up to 20 protesters had positioned themselves blocking guests from accessing their rooms. They yelled abuse and held offensive posters. Instead of hotel security and police, who were present, removing the protesters from private property as soon as their intentions became obvious, the guests were compelled to leave and attend a nearby police station while police removed the protesters. The failure of the police to promptly and decisively intervene not only violated the rights of the international visitors but also inflicted substantial reputational harm on our state, garnering attention across Australia and the global media:
· https://www.jpost.com/international/article-775996
3. Melbourne City Council protest
A number of Jewish community members attended Melbourne City Council to speak on the motion demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. To enter the building, they were required to navigate through an intimidating and aggressive protest. Yelling and unrest continued during the four-hour meeting and intensified when the Jewish speakers were at the podium. It has also come to light that statements supporting jihad and martyrdom were made during the protest. An incident occurred when a Jewish couple attempted to enter the building during the hearing, the police requiring them to leave the area for their safety. Following the motion, the Acting Lord Mayor offered a security escort to exit the building to the Jewish speakers as it was obvious that the mob outside were threatening. A profound sense of unease and intimidation exists within the Jewish community when confronted by such tumultuous scenes and questions are being asked as to why the community must continue to ensure this behaviour. It is deeply troubling that intimidation and aggression are being met with appeasement, exacerbating the community’s feelings of vulnerability and injustice.
We urge you to reconsider the current approach that appears to appease anti-Jewish pro-Palestinian behaviour and ensure that violence and intimidation are met with zero tolerance.
