(Daily Telegraph, 25/10/2023)
Canterbury-Bankstown has become the first council to unanimously agree to throw their support behind people in Gaza and fly the Palestinian flag since the war began with a Jewish community figure slamming the move as “incomprehensible”.
Labor councillor Karl Saleh tabled a motion at Tuesday night’s meeting calling for the Palestinian flag to be raised at the Paul Keating Park in Bankstown and Campsie Administration building “in support of the Palestinian people” until “a cease fire is declared”.
Mr Saleh also sought a space to lay wreaths and flowers for “innocent lives lost” and for the council to “protect and support the community gathering peacefully to demonstrate their views”.
“The media often ask, do we condemn all acts of violence targeting civilians and of course we condemn terrorism and violence in any form,” he said.
“Of course we have no place for antisemitism or Islamophobia in our city but let’s not pretend that the Palestinians have only been suffering since the 7th of October this year.”
Mr Saleh said the government had denied lighting up any Australian landmarks in the colour of the Palestinian flag despite a “massacre taking place in Gaza”.
“This motion is a mark of respect for the city of Canterbury-Bankstown to convey our condolences for more than 5000 Palestinians, nearly half of them are children who have been killed,” he said.
More than 30 pro-Palestine supporters, some draped in the Palestinian flag, peacefully chanted “save Palestine” outside the chambers.
The group applauded inside the gallery when the motion was unanimously moved – but several councillors were absent from the meeting, including Jessie Nguyen, Clare Raffan, Rachelle Harika and George Zakhia.
Australian Jewish Association president Dr David Adler condemned the move and said it was “incomprehensible that any civilised people could support a gesture at this time.”
“This would be akin to flying the German flag after Kristallnacht or the Japanese flag after Pearl Harbour,” he said.
Dr Adler said it was “not the role of local government to indulge itself in foreign policy”.
“It’s highly offensive what they have done and shows a complete lack of empathy to the Jewish community, it’s a disgrace,” he said.
“The phrase of condemning all violence is a cover for trying to build a false moral equivalent … there is no equivalence to what happened on the 7th of October.”
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip also condemned the move.
“An act of support for Palestinian civilians caught up in Hamas’ war is understandable but without also condemning the Hamas terror regime, you’re just giving comfort and support to Hamas who have proven to be worse than ISIS,” Ms Ossip said. “We all have a responsibility to maintain community cohesion and to prevent conflict overseas from disrupting the harmony we enjoy here in Sydney.”
Mayor Bilal El-Hayek tabled a mayoral minute where he expressed his support for Palestine as he “cannot stay silent at the retribution bearing down on the people of Gaza”.
“What is taking place in Gaza … is nothing short of a humanitarian crisis,” he said.
Mr El-Hayek questioned “why the human rights of Palestinians are constantly being ignored” and said the community “cannot be silenced or in fear”.
“It’s about freedom of speech and letting the rest of the world know that there are two sides grieving,” he said.
“Let us be proud, we are a council with a heart and soul and we will show our true colours like the flag we fly,” he said.
Mr El-Hayek proposed for council to write to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the opposition leader to make a “definitive statement like they did with Israel and declare that they stand with the innocent people of Gaza” and for an immediate ceasefire.
His minute was passed unanimously with councillors Linda Downey, Khal Asfour, Chris Cahill, Charlie Ishac, Bhadra Waiba and Charbel Abouraad voicing their support.
The packed gallery also observed one minute of silence.