Anti-Semitic sign calling for ‘death to Israel and allies’ erected outside Woodville home

A man says he put up an anti-Semitic sign outside his home because “people were being killed” – but has removed calls for “death to Israel”.

A Woodville Park man has defended an inflammatory sign he put up in his front yard fewer than 100m from a primary school.

But when The Advertiser visited on Monday night, Masoud Rahmani, 31, agreed he had gone too far and removed the words “Death to Israel and it’s (sic) allies”.

The sign initially read: “You don’t need to be Muslim to stand up for Gaza. You just need to be human. Death to Israel and it’s (sic) allies.”

The home is just down the road from Whitefriars Catholic School.

Mr Rahmani, 31, defended the language on the sign.

“As an Australian I feel ashamed. In Gaza and Palestine, people are getting killed on a daily basis,” he said.

The sign as it originally appeared outside the Woodville home, which is near a local primary school. Picture: Supplied

“I’m Afghan, I grew up in Afghanistan, I’ve been through terrorist attacks, I know how it feels to not be able to live and get out of the house and saying goodbye to your family not knowing if you’ll come back tonight.

“Innocent people shouldn’t be killed, but years and years of pushing them back into the corner – they’ll just lose it.”

Mr Rahmani conceded that the words “Death to Israel” were unwarranted and elected to remove them from the sign during The Advertiser’s visit.

The Advertiser had been alerted via a concerned parent at Whitefriars Catholic School.

It comes after more than 1000 pro-Palestinian protesters rallied in front of state parliament on Sunday to chants of “free Palestine” and “end the siege in Gaza”.

Similar rallies have been held in major cities all over the country.

In Sydney last week, there were nasty scenes are flares were lit and anti-Semitic chants outside the Opera House.

Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dr Dvir Abramovich told The Advertiser that the term “Death to Israel” is an “incitement to violence” and “must be condemned in the strongest possible form”.

“Words are bullets, especially during this dangerous atmosphere in which “Gas the Jews” and other stomach-churning demonisation of Australian Jews and anyone who supports Israel has reached fever pitch,” Dr Abramovich said.

“This is not just a banner scrawled by cowards who seek to sow division and instil fear in our communities, it is an assault on our sense of safety as Jews ... what was unthinkable five years ago has become a terrifying reality.

“There is no room in South Australia for such sickening intimidation, and I hope that SA Police who are able to charge the person for this abhorrent act.”