By the Palestine Action Group – Sydney and AFOPA – Adelaide

Spirit of Eureka supports the following statements in response to the Bondi Terror Attack by the Palestine Action Group – Sydney and Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA)

Palestine Action Group statement:

We are shocked and absolutely horrified by the terrorist attack at Bondi beach, which targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah. Our thoughts are with all those who have suffered due to this appalling attack, with the families of all the dead, and especially with the Jewish community. No one, anywhere in Sydney or anywhere in the world, should have to live in fear of terrorism or racist hate.

We salute the heroic actions of Ahmed al Ahmed, who bravely tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen, saving countless lives, and being shot twice in the process.

We reiterate our complete condemnation of antisemitism and all other forms of racism. For years, we have stood and marched in our hundreds of thousands, side by side with members of the Jewish community, to fight for a world free of racist violence and oppression, from Sydney to Gaza. Antisemitism has never had any place in our movement, nor in the world we want to live in.

In this context, we are utterly shocked and appalled to see the comments by Antisemitism Envoy Jillian Segal, seeking to exploit this tragedy to try to blame it on the March for Humanity, which saw 300,000 people, including thousands of Jewish people, march peacefully together to oppose genocide and racism.

We must not let Israeli politicians, Segal, or the far right, turn this tragedy into further racist hate.

AFOPA’s Statement on the Australian Government’s Response to the Bondi Beach Terror Attack:

The Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA) joins APAN in condemning the Albanese Government’s antisemitism report as a dangerous assault on democracy, free speech,  the right to protest and fundamental human rights.

We categorically reject the reckless and harmful attempt to link the Bondi attack with the Palestine advocacy and solidarity movement. To implicate hundreds of thousands of Australians, whose moral compass is firmly grounded in the consistent application of international law, the defence of human rights, and opposition to racism, genocide, occupation and apartheid, is outrageous and reprehensible.

Our movement must remain unequivocally focused on Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The so-called ‘ceasefire’ has created a dangerous illusion that the genocide has ended. It hasn’t.

Since the ‘ceasefire’ came into effect, Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza has continued. At least 380 Palestinians, including 140 children, have been killed and nearly 1000 injured. Israel has attacked Gaza more than 350 times since the ‘ceasefire’ started, while Gaza’s population has been left to starve in flooded tents amid the rubble.

Now is not the time to ease pressure – on Israel or on the Australian Government for its complicity in supporting a genocide. While our Government continues to ignore international law, public opinion and basic humanity, and continues to give cover to Israel to continue its behaviour with impunity, it is imperative that we intensify our advocacy and action.

This morning, Lebanese-Australian writer and author of the Sunbird, Sara Haddad wrote:

“We are being robbed of our civil liberties because not enough people, at a governmental, organisational or individual level, did the right thing in response to genocide.

Shame on you.

To those who have,  I extend my love, respect and solidarity”

We echo those words and thank all of our members and supporters who continue to stand for justice, accountability and the protection of human life.