Premier denies RASHAYS owner’s plea for Opera House to be lit up in colours of Palestinian flag
The founder of a popular restaurant chain has called on the government to light the sails of the Opera House in the colours of the Palestinian flag, but NSW Premier Chris Minns has knocked back the plea. What do you think? Take our poll.
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The Opera House sails will not be lit again during the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, Premier Chris Minns has said.
Mr Minns has knocked back calls for the sails to be lit in the colours of the Palestinian flag to commemorate the bombing of a hospital in Gaza.
The Premier said the Opera House was lit up in the Israeli flag last week in solidarity with other worldwide landmarks, “in the immediate aftermath of a vicious and brutal mass murder”.
But he will not do it again.
“We won’t be lighting it up further in relation to this conflict. And I think that is the appropriate decision,” he said.
“We’re in the middle of a warfare situation in the Gaza,” he said.
“Of course, we’re concerned about the loss of innocent Palestinian life,” he said.
“In relation to lighting up those major cultural institutions, we’ve got to be careful about context and we have to understand timing as well,” he said.
It comes after the founder of popular restaurant chain RASHAYS called the Australian government to light the sails of the Sydney Opera House in green, white, black and red in honour of the Palestinian lives lost in Gaza.
Rami Ykmour posted the heartfelt video to social media on Wednesday in a plea to the government to respect the 500 lives lost in al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
“You know last Sunday we woke up to devastating news of innocent civilian lives that were lost in the Middle East,” Mr Ykmour said.
“And today again, we wake up to innocent lives being lost in the Middle East. This time in a hospital, in an Anglican hospital, the Baptist hospital.
“Over 500 lives were lost today. Now I’m wondering, is our government gonna step up the same way they did for what happened last Sunday?
“Are they going to illuminate the green, the white and black and the red on our Opera House and other iconic buildings around Australia?”
The entrepreneur said “people are hurting” and hopes the government will hear his voice, suggesting that double standards could be at play if no action is taken.
“People are hurting like they were hurting last Sunday,” Mr Ykmour said.
“I just hope people hear me, I just hope the government can hear me, I hope our ministers can hear us and I hope they come out and support and share with us the loss of last night.
“The innocent mothers who were delivering babies, the babies that were laying there, the kids, the grandparents that were in a hospital that was supposed to be a safe place.”
Mr Ykmour pointed to all of the Israeli and Palestinian lives lost in the Middle East and said “No one deserves what’s going on.”
“My heart goes out to everyone, to all the civilians who have lost their lives because no one deserves what’s going on and it’s time we all stood up and said enough is enough,” he said. “We just can’t watch, how can we sleep at night, how do we sleep while this is happening in today’s world?”
Mr Ykmour’s Instagram video drew mixed responses from hundreds of commenters.
“No matter the sides no matter the religion. A human life is a human life. All these humans dead because another human believes they have the right to kill under their own beliefs,” User Mdpworld said.
Fuadhanin commented: “Well said Rami - our government must do something about it - or otherwise it’s the same double standards.”
The Resistance Australia account responded, saying: “Humanity must wake up and unite or we will perish at the hands of the architects who control this world.”
Meanwhile, another user Hugoisert said: ““It was Hamas that blew up the hospital… Not Israel.”
His plea comes after Industry Minister Ed Husic said Palestinians are being “collectively punished”, while Israel potentially breaks international laws.
The Muslim-Australian minister condemned the actions of Hamas but broke with cabinet rank to voice his concern at how Israel had retaliated.
“I really do feel that there is an obligation on governments, particularly the Israeli government, to follow the rules of international law and to observe in particular that innocents should be protected,” he told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
“I genuinely believe there needs to be a de-escalation. I don’t think it’s in Israel’s interest long term to engage in the occupation of Gaza.
“And certainly not in Palestine interests. And I do think that this is a moment where we have to recognise there is a humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza.
“We forced basically half the population into the south and Gaza itself, being roughly smaller than the size of Canberra, you just appreciate how difficult this is for innocent Palestinians.”
It comes less than two weeks after hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters converged on the Opera House’s forecourt after its sails were lit up blue and white in solidarity with Israel.
The crowd were waving Palestinian flags while an Israeli flag was ripped up and stomped on.
However, since the Opera House incident, pro-Palestinian rallies in Sydney have been relatively respectful and compliant.
About 6000 people turned out to show their support for Palestinians at a rally held in Hyde Park on Sunday.
Men and women wearing the black and white Palestinian keffiyeh held signs saying “Palestinian lives matter” and held pictures of dead children.
Only one man was charged after he allegedly made offensive comments during the rally.
At that rally, Palestinian Action group organiser Josh Lees said they had lodged the paperwork to protest at Town Hall next Saturday with an intention to march in the streets.
On Wednesday night, hundreds of healthcare workers gathered in Sydney’s southwest on, condemning the deadly bombardment of the hospital in Gaza.
Among the demonstrators in Liverpool were hospital staff still in their uniform holding signs as they denounced the attack.
NSW Police monitored the crowd and said they were respectful at all times and dispersed on their own.
At least 3000 people have been killed in retaliatory Israeli strikes on Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.
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