Ceasefire motion proposed at City of Melbourne
Australian city councils continue to be an avenue for anti-Israel activists to sew discord and division locally, dismantling the social cohesion that has been built over decades.
Melbourne
The latest target is the Melbourne City Council.
Independent councillor Jamal Hakim is proposing a motion for the council to call for the federal government to advocate on a list of seven demands, including a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners in Israel, removal of “illegal” settlements, and stopping the “illegal” occupation of Palestinian territories. Unlike in other council motions, the motion does not include the flying of the Palestinian flag. The Council will debate the motion on Tuesday.
Hakim has been a councillor since November 2020 and has attended many pro-Palestine rallies.
Philip Zajac, President of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, said, “We have seen how this plays out. Councillors who have passed motions on the Israel-Hamas conflict have caused nothing but division and animosity in their communities. There is absolutely no need for local councils to be weighing in on foreign affairs, Local Government Minister Melissa Horne has made that clear.
“We call on Melbourne City councillors to reject this motion; it will do nothing to solve the conflict in the Middle East, and it will do nothing to foster a sense of social cohesion in the City of Melbourne. Instead, we call on the City of Melbourne to show leadership in speaking out against boycotts of Jewish-owned small businesses in the CBD and in removing vile antisemitic graffiti that has blanketed the Melbourne CBD for months.”
AIJAC also responded, with Executive Director Dr Colin Rubenstein telling J-Wire, “All sensible councillors should reject any motion which calls for an immediate permanent ceasefire because such a call simply plays into the hands of Hamas. Denying Israel the ability to fully dismantle this genocidal movement’s military capabilities and rule over Gaza and allowing it to re-group, re-arm and attack Israel again, as it says it intends to, will inevitably lead to yet more war and yet more suffering, especially for Gazans.”
“If you were going to move a motion on the conflict, it should call for Hamas’ unconditional surrender, a handing over of all weapons and the release of all the hostages it seized, thus immediately ending the misery it is inflicting on Gazans it callously abuses as human shields.
“But councillors really should serve their ratepayers by sticking to the basics – rubbish, recycling bins and road repairs – rather than dabbling in international affairs, which they have no expertise in and no political mandate to intervene in.”
Banyule City Council in Melbourne has rejected looking at a similar motion because their rules stop them considering ones which are outside their powers as a city council. They understand that they are not in the foreign policy business.
Banyule City Council in Melbourne has rejected looking at a similar motion because their rules stop them considering ones which are outside their powers as a city council. They understand that they are not in the foreign policy business.