Cumberland Council supports Palestine, accused of overlooking Israel in Gaza conflict

Cumberland ratepayers will pay for a public art installation honouring Palestinians, prompting a debate in which opponents hit out at the council’s failure to recognise Israeli victims of ongoing conflict.

Cumberland ratepayers will pay for a public art installation honouring Palestinian victims of ongoing conflict in the Middle East, sparking a debate in which opponents hit out at the failure to recognise the Israeli dead and questioned why the council was dabbling in international issues.

At the Cumberland Council meeting on Wednesday night, Mayor Ola Hamed tabled a mayoral minute to express support and solidarity with the people of Palestine, to continue advocating for a ceasefire and to write to the foreign affairs minister to outline the council’s stance on Gaza.

It is understood first-time councillor Ahmed Ouf – who is taking on Jason Clare in the traditionally safe Labor seat of Blaxland at the next federal election – drafted a more “drastic” version supporting Palestine, but the mayor’s suggestion was toned down.

Cr Ouf, an independent, was contacted for comment and did not participate in the discussion during the meeting, at which death tolls of 43,391 Palestinians and 1706 Israelis were stated.

Independent councillor Steve Christou objected to the council’s support of Palestine, claiming it neglected the Israeli people, who, despite having a “more powerful” army, had still suffered at the hands of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Cumberland Mayor Ola Hamed.

Auburn pharmacist and first-time councillor Ahmed Ouf. Picture: Jeremy Piper

“We seem to be acknowledging the plight of the Palestinian people, but we’re not acknowledging there are also Israeli victims as well,’’ he said.

“There’s no discrimination – people are people, blood is blood. Both communities have innocent victims.

“We go back to October 7 (last year) where thousands of Israelis were attacked, murdered, raped and pillaged, and as a consequence we have this horrific war staged … over a year now for both communities.’’

Palestinian supporters in Lidcombe last year. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Cr Christou, who told the chamber he had a Palestinian sister-in-law, called for the council to take a “common sense’’ approach and supported Cr Paul Garrard’s motion to include Israel in the mayoral minute.

“There is no distinction and no separation in suffering,’’ he said.

“I’m just mystified why we separate one group of people.

“Let’s start on having compassion for all of humanity and all of mankind.’’

Liberal councillor Joseph Rahme called for the council to stick to rates, roads and rubbish.

“Matters like this are not for council to deal with,’’ he said.

“We’re not in a position as a local council to stand or take a side, regardless of what personal opinions there are.’’

The mayoral minute was said to have “discriminated” against Israel. Picture: AFP

Our Local Community councillor Helen Hughes told the meeting “we are in Australia and it is unbelievably sad, the numbers of people that have passed away overseas”, but it was not “an OK thing” that 1139 people had died in Israel during the October 7 attacks.

However, Deputy Mayor Michael Zaiter said the proposal did acknowledge the Israeli victims.

Cr Eddy Sarkis said the death toll in Palestine was far greater than Israel, which did not need support like it did in World War II.

“I don’t believe in my heart that the Israelis need support at this point in time,’’ he said.

“At this point, when you’re talking about 44,000-plus Palestinians … God knows how many others have been killed that have not been reported.’’

The original mayoral minute was amended to include Lebanon but not Israel.

Councillors Christou and Paul Garrard only supported the motion to include Israel and rejected the mayoral minute. Councillors Rahme and Hughes abstained from voting but were also against the minute excluding Israel.

The suggestion allows the Palestinian Australians’ Welfare Association to gather at Holroyd Gardens during the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on November 29 during a cost-free event.

However, the cost of an art installation will come out of the budget after the council agreed the general manager should prepare a concept for it.

Cumberland is not the only council to have had its say on the Gaza conflict.

Last October, Canterbury-Bankstown Council unanimously voted to fly the Palestinian flag until a ceasefire was declared.

Then, this month, two eastern suburbs councils with high numbers of Jewish residents agreed to commission public artwork recognising the impact of Hamas attacks on Israel.

Woollahra and Waverley councils will build a permanent public art memorial to recognise the local impact of attacks on Israel since October 7 last year.

However, a Jewish leader said security would “sadly” be needed to help protect the new permanent public artwork amid a spike in anti-Semitic graffiti around that area.

Originally published as Cumberland Council supports Palestine, accused of overlooking Israel in Gaza conflict