The tepid response by Victoria Police regarding the latest attack on family members of Israeli hostages visiting Melbourne has once again shown that intolerance is allowed to flourish in Victoria.
Commenting on this latest episode of hatred, the Victorian State Director of the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), Jasmine Yuen, said, “It is concerning that, whilst our State has the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, authorities seem incapable of stemming this current outpouring of hatred and vilification. These things ought not to be!
“The Labor Government has held itself out as being a paradigm of tolerance yet in this flagrant case of intimidation and potential criminal conduct, its roar has been that of a mouse.
“It is a disgrace that already traumatised families of Israeli hostages had to hide from their attackers in their hotel. They came to Melbourne hoping, expecting, to find peace and refuge. Instead they were ‘welcomed’ with hate filled, antisemitic bullying by masked people to a point that the safety of these foreign guests has been threatened.”
Mrs Yuen continued, “Our local Jewish community is already on high alert. Jewish students are in fear of attending school or identifying themselves as Jewish. The blame for this must surely be attributed, at least in part, to the Victorian branch of Australian Education Union (AEU) who encouraged teachers to initiate pro-Palestinian campaigns at schools. Our education system has been hijacked by an intolerant racist group, while it fails to educate our kids. So much for the Victorian Government Respectful Relationships program – it has failed spectacularly.”
The ACL condemns all acts of violence and pray for all innocent victims of the current war in the Middle East. We vehemently oppose the antisemitic protests and the latest attack on the Israeli visitors who should have felt welcomed and safe in our nation. We urge the Allan Government to require the Victoria Police to enforce the law and protect the Jewish community. It is no use banning Nazi salutes while allowing Jews to be terrorised.
