Why Jewish leader wants the Greens ‘walloped’ at the ballot box on Saturday
A prominent Jewish leader has taken a swipe at the Greens’ candidate for Macnamara, accusing her of trying to hide anti- Semitic party policies.
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A prominent Jewish leader has taken a swipe at the Greens candidate for Macnamara — home to the country’s second largest Jewish population — accusing her of trying to hide the party’s “anti-Semitic policies on Israel”.
It comes as voters in the ultra marginal seat note Sonya Semmens has conveniently left the Greens position on the Israel-Hamas war out of her campaigning materials, while other Greens MPs and candidates promote the party’s pro-Palestine stance.
Ms Semmens and fellow Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam, who is vying to steal Wills – Melbourne’s most progressive seat – from Labor, both mention freezing rents; getting dental into Medicare; and stopping coal and gas on their flyers.
But while Ms Semmens mentions stopping “price gouging”, Ms Ratnam’s flyers read “stop the invasion of Gaza, end the occupation”.
It comes after Greens leader Adam Bandt vowed to demand an end to the “invasion” in Gaza and sanction Israel in the case of a minority Labor government.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the Greens “must take the Australian people for fools, for which they deserve a good walloping at the ballot box”.
“Once again the Greens have been caught speaking with a forked tongue,” he said.
“When speaking to audiences in electorates with high numbers of Jewish voters they studiously avoid all mention of their anti-Semitic policies on Israel which seek to erase the Jewish people’s collective right of self-determination.
“But when making their pitch to Muslim organisations the Greens have put these very policies front and centre.”
A Greens spokesperson denied that the party’s stance was anti-Semitic, and noted that the party supported the recognition of a Palestinian state.
“The Greens are a party of peace,” she said.
“The Greens condemn anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism.”
Originally published as Why Jewish leader wants the Greens ‘walloped’ at the ballot box on Saturday
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