10,000 attend Sydney support rally for Israel

Thousands gathered in Sydney’s east on Wednesday night to commemorate the deaths of civilians and show support for Israel.

About 10,000 attendees descended upon Rodney Reserve in Dover Heights, many clutching Israeli and Australian flags as well as signs reading “safety is a right” and “united with Israel”.

David Ossip, the president of The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, opened by saying: “The history of the Jewish people is long, with many dark chapters. But make no mistake, the events of the past 72 hours are as dark as any a brutal terrorist regime and an unprovoked and coordinated attack set upon Israel in the most vile and inhumane ways imaginable. We woke this morning to the shocking revelation that at least 40 babies were slaughtered insofar. These evil people went door to door executing families, setting fires to homes with people inside, raping and mutilating women, decapitating our people, shooting a pregnant woman in the stomach.

How can we not think of the hostages, the innocent men, women, children, the elderly, the whole families whom Hamas is currently holding, that vile terrorist regime in circumstances too distressing to contemplate? Tonight, we gather here to pray fervently to pray deeply for their wellbeing. This is what we’re dealing with pure evil, pure barbarity on a scale of unsurpassed depravity.”

He spoke of the murder of former Australian resident Galit Carbone, who had made Israel her home. She had lived in Sydney, very close to the site of the rally.

He added: “The images and videos circulating at the moment bring to the forefront of our minds the traumatic events that have afflicted our people in the past, which makes it even more painful to see rallies in Sydney celebrating the murder and mutilation of our friends and family in Israel. It’s what makes it so disturbing to our community that some individuals, including elected officials, still find it difficult to condemn what has transpired shame unreservedly.

This is a battle between humanity and depravity between humanity and barbarism. And it’s a battle in which Israel will fight, and she will win, and we will be right behind her. Israel has not just a right to defend herself and our citizens but an obligation, and we call on the Australian government, and we call on all Australians. We call on all governments around the world. To support Israel in the days and weeks ahead for as long as it takes as it seeks to eliminate entirely the terrorist threat from us.

The weeks ahead will be tough. But tonight is a night to honour and to mourn those who have been murdered, to pray for those who are still in captivity and to send strength to those who have been wounded. Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here tonight and we are traumatized. We are heartbroken. We are feeling completely and utterly bereft. But know this: we are sure as hell not broken because we, the Jewish people, are the unbreakable people.”

Executive Council of the Australian Jewry’s President Jillian Segal addressed a solemn crowd, describing the attacks by Hamas as a “date that will live in infamy”.

“Our world has changed, the barbarians have breached the gates,” she said.

“The butchery and savagery that has unfolded in Israel beggars description … we are totally shattered as we stand together this evening.”

Last Shabbat, October 7 2023, another date that will live in infamy, Israel was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Hamas terrorists by land, sea and air. The butchery and the savagery that unfolded in Israel beggars description. Jews were hunted down and murdered in their homes and on the streets. Infants were beheaded in their beds, women were raped. The dead were desecrated. Hostages were degraded in public. Whole communities were decimated, and buildings burned to the ground. Not since the Holocaust have so many Jewish lives been taken in a single day.

We are totally shattered as we stand together this evening, mourning the 900 or more innocent lives lost and praying for the speedy recovery of the injured and the safe release of all of the hostages. We had thought that the barbarity of the Holocaust would not happen again.

The events of the weekend have demonstrated to the whole world that when Hamas proclaims that it intends to obliterate Israel and its Jewish population, it means what it says. Hamas and its backers in Tehran like ISIS have once again proven that they are actually lacking in any concept of the sanctity of human life.”

She called all fair-minded people and politicians to demand the immediate release of the hostages.

Commenting on the pro-Palestinian rally disgrace perpetrated at the steps of the Sydney Opera House earlier this week, she said: “We also demand that those who burned the Israeli flag at the Opera House on Monday night and spewed disgraceful anti semitic slogans be identified. And dealt with according to the full force of the law.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns said Australia stands in solidarity with the people of Israel and against the “unspeakable barbarity” of recent events.

He said: “Scripture tells us that God made three promises to Abraham, the promise of a homeland, the promise that his children would be a nation and the promise that through his descendants and this nation, his children would be blessed.

It takes great faith to believe in that promise of God when witnessing the cruelty and suffering the children of Abraham suffered on the land of Israel in the last week. Young, old, soldiers on active duty, infants, babies, and Holocaust survivors, all killed for one simple and only reason – their faith. There is no question that you, who are members of this ancient religion, suffer unimaginable anti-Semitism. Some of you are hated and targeted, sight unseen as characters untested simply and only because you are Jewish.

Once again, the Opera House fiasco was mentioned when he said “and it is with eternal sorrow that I acknowledged that some of that hatred was seen in your own city. And I’m deeply deeply sorry for it”.

He added: “I don’t want to live in a world where that happens and I won’t leave in a state where that is allowed to happen. I make it clear Australia stands in solidarity with the people of Israel in the face of unspeakable barbarity. And we stand with you here in Australia staunchly against people who cruelly celebrate those atrocities in your homeland of Australia.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton praised Israel for being a “resolute nation” and the Jewish people for their “determination (and) ability to always stuck together”.

He said: “As I look out to the audience tonight, I see young people and old people, young girls in tears, emotion but the absolute determination of steadfast determination to make sure that we stay together, that we stare down the barbarity, that we rise up and we support those in their darkest hour as Australians.

I say thank you for your resolute nature. What we know of the Jewish people is their determination, their ability never to give in, and always to stick together. And we will always stand with the people of Israel as a country as a people.
We cherish those of Jewish faith among us. We’re here as Australians tonight to send a very clear message to those millions around the world that we join with them in staring down these acts of depravity in making sure that over the coming days and weeks, there is no retreat. And the days and weeks ahead will be tough because, as we know, there will be detractors and there will be those who will pass comment about the response that Israel is preparing to mount this very day. Those hostages need to be recovered. We need to make sure that Hamas has a very clear message that their acts of terrorism will never ever be tolerated and that we will never stand back from the responsibility that we have to stand together.”

Leader of the Opposition in the NSW Parliament, Mark Speakman, said that we have not seen depravity of the scale and depth that we have witnessed in the last few days.

He told the rally: “We mourn those who have lost their lives, and may their memory be a blessing. We mourn those who have seen the loss of loved ones. Those here tonight who have friends and family that are suffering Israel they’ve lost or missing and unaccounted for. We mourn all those. But can I assure you that the opposition here in New South Wales stands in complete solidarity with us and night we must defeat terrorism abroad. We must never let it take root here in New South Wales. We must stand unequivocally against hate speech against anti terrorism against fellow travelers of these evils. Ladies and gentlemen tonight is a sombre occasion. It’s a time of deep reflection and a prayer. But it’s also a time of strength and a fight and a struggle and you and Israel will win this struggle.”

Mark Butler, deputising for prime minister Anthony Albanese, told the rally: “My deepest sympathies to those who have been impacted by these appalling acts of terror. And I know many of you wait anxiously each day to hear from loved ones, friends and family in Israel, and many had deep concerns about a rise in antisemitism here at home. Antisemitism has no place in this country. Hate speech has no place in this country.
Just as we stand with the state and the people of Israel, we stand with the Australian Jewish community. People come to this country because they want to live and raise their family in a country that is peaceful and tolerant.”

David Ossip, in closing, said: “We thank the thousands of Australians who have reached out to Jewish communal organizations to synagogues to Jewish schools over the past few days to say that they stand with the Jewish people they stand with Israel and that we are in their thoughts and prayers.

And there are certainly tough days and weeks ahead, but I implore each of us we must not be cowardly. We must not be frightened into not standing with Israel. We should wear our support for Israel and we should wear the fact that we are Jews as a badge of honor.

And no rally, whether it’s in parts of Sydney or whether it’s on the steps of the Opera House, is going to frighten us.

For 2000 years, Jewish people were powerless. We didn’t have the means to defend ourselves. No more. We are going to get through this. The State of Israel and our people are going to get through this. We joined tonight in prayer for all the people of Israel. We joined tonight to exclude to the world that the New South Wales Jewish community, that those who are standing with our community, we stand with Israel, the nation of Israel lives,the State of Israel lives. The Jewish people live. We survive and we thrive.”

The pro-Palestine rally on Monday night saw some attendees chant anti-Jewish rhetoric and light flares while police say they are probing a handful of threats made against Jewish citizens in Sydney and Melbourne.

Security around Jewish schools and synagogues has been tightened due to fears of potential violence.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry spokesman Alex Ryvchin said the community was in constant contact with police, the government and private security advisors.

“I want to encourage my people to be proud, to identify as Jews and to deepen their Jewishness at a time when it’s under attack,” he said.

“But I know that many in my community worry about the safety of their children and their loved-ones.”

A security firm run by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies that patrols community facilities across Sydney has raised its threat level to heightened, believing a terrorist attack could be possible.

Community Security Group Victoria similarly raised its threat level to severe and promised to boost its presence at Jewish schools.

The group said it is aware of a heightened level of fear and anxiety in the community but called for calm.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon acknowledged the anxiety within the Jewish community but stressed the force had increased patrols and there was no immediate risk.

“We would be encouraging parents of students getting into those schools to send their children to school, knowing that the police will be supporting them,” he said.

Mr Ryvchin advised members of the Jewish community to be alert and careful.

“This isn’t a time to cower and be fearful, we’re Australians for God’s sake,” he said.

“This is a free country and we should be free to walk the streets and be who we are without fear.”

With AAP