‘People are afraid’: Jewish leader says anti-Semitic Opera House scenes have ‘compounded grief’ of Jewish community

Scenes of protesters celebrating the attacks brutal attacks on Israel on the steps of the Sydney Opera House have “compounded the grief and suffering” of Australia’s Jews, a community leader has claimed.

Pro-Palestine protesters marched from Sydney’s town hall to the Opera House on Monday night, which was being lit in blue and white in solidarity with victims of the recent brutal attacks on Israeli citizens.

At the Opera House, the protesters chanted anti-Semitic slogans and burnt Israeli flags.

Speaking to Sky News Australia, Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry said the scenes were a “national embarrassment” have had a major impact on many in the Jewish community.

“It’s one thing to permit people to assemble and to protest in a free society. That there was absolutely no reason why they needed… to march from town hall to the opera house,” he said.

“You now have images projected around the world of this rabble of vicious men, chanting and lighting flares and calling for the gassing of my people at the footsteps of our most iconic monument.

“It’s abhorrent, it’s an appalling situation, it should never happen. And it’s really compounded the grief and the suffering of our community at this time.”

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s co-CEO said it was a difficult time for Australia’s Jewish community and many people are afraid.

“Seeing the scenes of people chanting ‘gas the Jews’ – these enthusiasts influences for mass rape and murder – it has spooked and frightened the community, there’s no doubt about it,” Mr Ryvchin said.

He also attacked the NSW Police directive on Monday – repeated by the NSW Attorney General Michael Daley on Tuesday morning – for Jews to stay home for their own safety.

“That’s perhaps the saddest and most repugnant aspect of all this – that the mob has prevailed.

“That the ones who are threatening and harassing and spreading racial hatred in our streets were able to hold the day, and peace loving citizens of the Jewish community were told to keep out of our own CBD.

“Jewish Australians from Sydney weren’t able to access our own city centre. It’s an extraordinary state of affairs.”

However, Mr Ryvchin declined to blame the NSW government for the “mess” of the anti-Semitic scenes, telling Sky News that NSW Premier Chris Minns had been “incredibly supportive” including by agreeing to illuminate the Opera House in solidarity with Israel.

“I think, to a large extent, everyone in the government and in the police have been perhaps blindsided by the extent of the venom and the hostility that we’ve seen,” he said.

“I think people underestimated that so many people, so many of our fellow Australians, would be moved to protest in support of mass atrocities committed abroad. And I think that’s taken everyone a little bit by surprise.

Earlier on Tuesday Premier Minns said he does not support the comments that Jews should “stay home” and would be speaking to the Attorney General about the comments.

The Premier also called out the “false equivalence” between members of the Jewish community wanting to show solidarity with the victim of terrorist attacks in Israel and the “abhorrent” scenes of people celebrating “atrocious, indiscriminate killing and kidnapping in Israel”.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley has also been called out for failing to prevent the protesters marching from Sydney’s town hall to the Opera House, with Opposition leader Mark Speakman accusing the minister of being “asleep at the wheel” and calling for her to “consider her position”.