“Those pro-Hamas demonstrators celebrating the murder, rape, and kidnapping of Israeli civilians including women, children, and elderly in their homes and cars is disgusting and reprehensible,” said Indigenous Friends of Israel co-founders Norman and Barbara Miller. “We condemn it – at the Sydney Opera House or Melbourne or anywhere else in the world.
“On 7 October 2023, about 900 Israelis were killed and this is the highest number of Jews killed in one day since the Holocaust. This is tragic, inexcusable, and inhumane and our hearts go out to the people of Israel and Jewish people worldwide.
“Israel is the only democratic state in the Middle East and it is the only Jewish homeland in the world. The Jews have in fact decolonized Israel not colonized it.
“As Indigenous Friends of Israel, we condemn the inaccurate propaganda that Israel is a racist, apartheid colonizer state. Jewish people have been in the land we now call Israel since the time of Abraham, 4,000 years ago. Jerusalem was made the capital of the Jewish state 3,000 years ago by King David. Jews were conquered and removed at various times through history but a remnant has always been in Israel, renamed Syria Palaestina by the conquering Romans. Arabs conquered and colonized Jerusalem in the relatively recent time of 636-637 AD. They came from Saudi Arabia. They are not Indigenous.
“The pro-Hamas rally in Sydney on 9.10.23 was racist, anti-Semitic and a genocidal mob which called out ‘Death to the Jews,’ ‘Gas the Jews” referring to the Holocaust, and “From the River to the Sea’ which means removing all Jews from Israel and a one-state Palestinian solution. It burned the Israel flag and threw flares in an illegal demonstration.
“This was while the Sydney Opera House sails were lit up blue and white in memory of those massacred in Israel. It was a failure of the NSW government and police that when Jews in Sydney should have been able to attend the lighting up and receive some comfort at the support of their fellow Australian citizens, they were told to stay home by the police for their own safety because the police showed favour to and fear of a mob of pro-Hamas supporters who were outraged at the Opera House being lit up. Can’t we keep Jews in Australia safe?
“Not only that, but one lone Jewish man was arrested by police as he attended the Town Hall with a folded-up Israel flag and told not to come back into the city for 24 hours. Also, a Jewish Anglican pastor was chased by Palestinian demonstrators and had to be rescued by police.
“No one was arrested though they broke the law by holding the illegal demonstration and despite their breaking racial vilification laws. This is a massive failure by the government and police.
“The demonstrators also called out “Shame on Australia.” Obviously, their allegiance is not to Australia. Their allegiance is to a foreign terrorist organization.”
Signed – Norman and Barbara Miller 0466076020
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