Jewish MP Julian Leeser distressed after campaign posters defaced with swastikas

The federal election campaign has taken an ugly turn after Jewish MP Julian Leeser’s ­campaign posters were defaced by Nazi symbols. Vandals drew swastikas and a Hitler moustache on images of the Liberal member for Berowra in Sydney’s north.

• Bondi mural defaced with gold swastikas
• Calls for CCTV after second racist graffiti attack at Bondi

The federal election campaign has taken an ugly turn after Jewish MP Julian Leeser’s ­campaign posters were defaced by Nazi symbols.

Vandals drew swastikas and a Hitler moustache on images of the Liberal member for Berowra in Sydney’s north.

Mr Leeser said one of his supporters had spotted the defaced posters near Normanhurst train station on Thursday afternoon — the eve of Passover, one of the Jewish religion’s most important festivals.

Julian Leeser, MP for Berowra in Sydney’s north, has had several of his campaign posters defaced with Nazi swastikas. Picture: David Swift

MORE NEWS

Police Tapes: Secret report reveals drug gangs’ links inside the force

Sydney police officer stabbed at Central Station

Reg Grundy’s ‘son’ a lookalike and former mayor

He believes the anti-Semitic attack was “designed to send a message” to him as a prominent member of the Jewish ­community.

“Two had swastikas on them with Adolf Hitler moustaches and another two had ETU (Electrical Trades Union) stickers on them,” Mr Leeser told The Saturday Telegraph. “I’m sad and upset about it. This is not the Berowra I know. I think it’s quite un-Australian, it’s disgraceful and it’s particularly distressing on the eve of Passover.”

One of Mr Leeser’s posters in Normanhurst. Picture: Supplied

An Electrical Trades Union spokesman said it “did not authorise or condone the actions of the individual who placed a union sticker on a political poster”.

“We are confident that action was unrelated to the separate incident involving anti-Semitic graffiti being drawn on another poster,” the spokesman said. “Our union has no tolerance for racism, whether in politics, the workplace, or the broader community.”

The anti-Semitic graffiti comes days after mural artwork along the Bondi Beach promenade was defaced with swastikas for a second time in two months.

Bondi lies in the federal seat of Wentworth which is held by Jewish independent MP Kerryn Phelps by a margin of just 1.22 per cent.

Mr Leeser said the vandalised posters have now been replaced and the incident had been reported to police.

“I’m a prominent member of the Jewish community, I think the fact that this is being done in a way is designed to send ­message … I can’t believe that it’s the act of a random teenager,” he said. “It’s clearly an anti-Semitic message being sent to me.”

Member for Wentworth Kerryn Phelps. Picture: AAP/Lukas Coch

He said the use of Nazi iconography was particularly distressing for him and his family.

“My grandmother left Germany in 1936 and she was beaten by the Nazis, so I take this stuff seriously and very personally,” Mr Leeser said.

Katie Gompertz is the ALP candidate for Bradfield.

“Passover is the signature festival of the Jewish people, it’s a festival that caused the Exodus from Egypt where Jewish people went from being slaves to the Pharaoh to being free people. It’s about the quest to practise your faith free of harassment and interference … it’s the most joyous time of the year and to have this happen here was particularly awful.”

Mr Leeser holds the seat of Berowra by a margin of 16.45 per cent and is being challenged for the seat at the May 18 election by Labor candidate Katie Gompertz. Ms Gompertz condemned the vandalism when contacted yesterday.

“There is absolutely no place for this kind of vandalism in our society and I condemn this in the strongest possible terms,” she said. “This is a disgusting hate crime.”

There is no suggestion Ms Gompertz or the ETU were responsible for the vandalism.