As an inclusive movement, Scouts Australia includes Coptic, Buddhist, Muslim, Greek as well as Jewish and other minority groups. Youth and adult members of Scouts make a promise of good citizenship to Australia. International politics has no place in scouting. We wouldn’t appreciate seeing an Australian scout draped in a Palestine flag. Attack for wearing a kippah is definitely antisemitism. Draping in an Israel flag at a Scouts Australia event where we come together in peace, left handed ‘friendship’ handshake and all, is needlessly provocative and disrespectful to scouts from a background other than our own. Scouting families in many parts of the world are hurting because war has directly affected them, just as October 7 and Bondi have affected us. There must be times when, as Jews, we come together with others in a spirit of fraternity and egality without bringing in international politics.