‘Beyond a misguided joke’: Leading Jewish academic admonishes Far North LNP candidate over Hitler post
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has reprimanded a Far North LNP candidate who posted a defaced image of herself featuring a distinctive Hitler-esque moustache alongside a “joke” about her German heritage on social media this weekend.
Cairns
Don't miss out on the headlines from Cairns. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has reprimanded a Far North LNP candidate who posted a defaced image of herself featuring a distinctive Hitler-esque moustache on social media this weekend.
But a prominent academic and community activist has urged the political hopeful to better educate herself on “one of the darkest and most horrific chapters in human history”.
On Saturday afternoon, candidate for Barron River, Bree James, uploaded – then quickly deleted – an image of herself standing next to a vandalised campaign banner where she had been made to resemble Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
In the post, a plug for a local German festival event was accompanied by the comment: “Even my banner is getting in the spirit and celebrating my German heritage”.
Ms James has since apologised but the chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission Dr Dvir Abramovich said the Cairns businesswoman’s statement didn’t go far enough.
“This is beyond a misguided joke,” Dr Abramovich said.
“This is an insult to the millions of innocent lives lost during the Holocaust, to the brave diggers who died to defeat Hitler and a slap in the face to every survivor and their families living in Australia.
“We are in disbelief that someone vying for public office would, in any way, make light of Adolf Hitler, a man responsible for one of the darkest and most horrific chapters in human history.”
At a time when antisemitism is surging globally, the president of the Australian Association of Jewish studies argued that such comments could have unintended consequences.
“This kind of reckless and thoughtless behaviour is not just offensive - it’s dangerous,” Dr Abramovich said.
“It sends a message that Nazi symbolism can be casually used, as though it were part of a lighthearted joke.
“It is not a joke. It is a chilling reminder of a regime that murdered six million Jews, among countless others, in a genocidal campaign fuelled by hatred.”
Dr Abramovich urged Ms James to educate herself and campaign members on the true impact of Nazi-related imagery.
“Words and images have power, and in this case, the power to evoke trauma, fuel hatred, and perpetuate dangerous ignorance,” he said.
“The Holocaust and its atrocities must never be trivialised or reduced to a punchline.
“We owe it to the memory of those lost—and to future generations—to ensure that history is never treated with such callousness again.”
At the LNP’s party launch in Ipswich on Sunday, Mr Crisafulli said the post was unacceptable.
“It’s disappointing, it’s wrong, it’s not funny,” he said.
“And I’ve expressed my view to her, very clearly, she has expressed remorse, and genuine remorse.
“She knows my view, and I’ve made it very, very, clear to her.”
Member for Barron River, Craig Crawford condemned Ms James’ post.
In a statement on Saturday, Ms James said the post was an attempt to make light of the vandalism of one of her campaign signs, “which I now deeply regret”.
“It was offensive, it was not funny, I sincerely regret posting it and the post has been removed.
“I am deeply sorry to anyone I have offended.”
Ms James is yet to explain a second photo she posted online last December, from a series of images of a fundraiser she organised in 2006 following Tropical Cyclone Larry, which featured a man wearing a helmet featuring SS insignia and a swastika.
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘Beyond a misguided joke’: Leading Jewish academic admonishes Far North LNP candidate over Hitler post
Boy flown to Townsville Hospital after rock attack on Kuranda train
What should have been a happy outing to Kuranda has ended in heartache after a five-year-old boy was seriously injured when a rock came flying through the window of a train on Saturday.
Inmate left sucking ‘blended slop’ after prison yard ‘king hit’
A man jailed for assaulting his partner after rampaging through Edmonton with an axe has been dragged back into court after he left his cellmate sucking “blended slop” after breaking the man’s jaw.