Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been criticised as tone deaf after telling Jewish community leaders that ‘Arabs are doing it really tough at the moment’.
The PM made the comments after an antisemitic attack in Woollahra last month, in which graffiti was sprayed on cars and buildings, including celebrity chef Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant, and one car was torched.
Since then there have been two more attacks, one involving the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 as Jews gathered to pray, injuring one person, and another graffiti and car fire attack in Woollahra on December 11.
The Jewish leaders were reportedly taken aback by Mr Albanese’s words and commented on them, but the PM’s office said he had been calling for unity and the quote did not convey the tone of the conversation.
Sky News host Sharri Markson said on social media the Prime Minister’s comment highlighted the Labor leader’s ‘instinctive sentiment to talk about how tough the Arab community is doing it when the country is experiencing an antisemitism crisis’.
Viewers has similar opinions with one saying he ‘just can’t help himself’.
‘A limp PM… allowing hate speech on the streets and lumping our pain in with the Arabs. Shows a complete lack of understanding,’ another wrote.
‘Isn’t it that we are just seeing the tip of the underlying iceberg of antisemitism?’ a third added.
On Tuesday, Mr Albanese met with the Jewish community outside the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea and was greeted with a prickly reception, including one woman yelling from the crowd that his appearance was ‘cheap and late’.
‘People have come to because we are a country that is peaceful,’ Mr Albanese told the crowd.
‘We are a country that respects people of different faith and are enriched by our diversity here.’
His government this week reaffirmed its commitment to the Jewish community, including announcing $32.5million in funding for Executive Council of n Jewry to improve security at locations such as schools and synagogues.
‘This is a time where the country should be looking for national unity, not looking for areas of distinction and difference over every issue,’ Mr Albanese said.
‘I would have thought that every n would be horrified by what occurred last Friday and would be equally prepared to condemn it and oppose it. It’s un-n, I’ve said that. It’s designed to create fear in the community, and it should be opposed.’
On Thursday, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to support a permanent and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the protection of children and civilians.
The motion passed with 158 members, including , voting in support and nine against, with 13 abstaining at an emergency session.
‘s ambassador to the UN James Larsen said the demand for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance to Gaza was urgent.
‘Israel must take urgent action to alleviate this humanitarian crisis,’ he said.
The Executive Council of n Jewry slammed the motion, saying an unconditional ceasefire meant Israel would have to abandon hostages ‘and allow the Hamas terrorists to re-establish themselves as the de facto rulers of Gaza’.
‘No country in the world should be expected to betray its own citizens as Israel is being called upon to do,’ President Daniel Aghion said.
also voted to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in a second motion that passed with 159 in support, nine against and 11 abstaining.
The motion called for the Israeli Knesset to reverse laws banning the agency from operating in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which included Gaza and the West Bank.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has repeatedly stated the agency was the only one with the capability to distribute aid at the scale needed in Gaza.
‘For the past year, the world has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages.Today 158 countries voted in favour of this, including , the UK, NZ, Canada, Japan and Germany.
‘We want this war to end and the hostages home.’