The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies president declined museum Albanese meeting
David Ossip, president of The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, declined to attend the press conference at the Sydney Jewish Museum yesterday when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an $8.5 million donation for the museum’s renovation.
He told Sharri Markson on Sky why he did not go.
David Ossip talking with Sharri Markson Photo: Screen shot
“I didn’t attend the Jewish Museum with the Prime Minister. Whilst I have the greatest of respect for the office of Prime Minister, and I’m grateful for the money which they’ve given this in the Jewish Museum, I couldn’t bring myself to go and hear the Prime Minister talk about antisemitism, whilst his government continues to plot further policy moves against the State of Israel, and whilst he fails to rein in his foreign minister, who continues to use incendiary, demonizing and provocative rhetoric, which, in my opinion, endangers the Jewish community.
The response of Chris Minns and the state government couldn’t have been any stronger. He was on the phone to me in the early hours of the morning. He expressed solidarity with the Jewish community. He called the Israeli ambassador. He immediately coordinated additional security resources for the community, and he dropped everything on his plate to go to Woollahra immediately to demonstrate his absolute abhorrence at what had taken place.
And this has been the approach he’s demonstrated over the past 14 months. He’s been there every single time, strong and unequivocal, standing side by side with the Jewish community. And I think the Prime Minister and his colleagues would do very well to learn from Premier Minns.”
He told Sharri the “Jewish community is extremely frustrated and upset”.
He added: “This is a federal government which is sat on its hands and been slow to act on antisemitism for the whole of the past 14 months. It’s a government which has seemed more determined to demonize and abandon Israel and play domestic politics than deal with the crisis of social cohesion and antisemitism, which is festered on its watch. It’s a situation which has gotten worse, not better, and now, after 14 months, we’re at a crisis point, and the Jewish community has been jumping up and down and warning the government throughout this period. And it’s not a surprise that we’ve now landed up in a position like this, and the Jewish community is understandably very disappointed with the government and concerned about their safety and wellbeing.”
