‘Statements of support make us feel safe and secure’: Jewish Community Council of Victoria

There are growing calls for the AFL — known for supporting social issues like gay rights and Black Lives Matter — to address the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

There are growing calls for the AFL to address the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict as the league is called out for its “deafening” silence.

The League was on Sunday night yet to release an official statement or message of support for the Jewish community, much to the dismay and distress of many as the war overseas continues to claim thousands of lives.

The AFL in the past has been quick to express its support for other pressing social issues,

including a major statement supporting a Yes vote in the weekend’s Voice to Parliament.

When young gun Harry Sheezel, a Jewish player for North Melbourne, was racially vilified on the eve of being drafted, the league was also quick to throw its arms around him and the wider Jewish community.

The AFL has been called on to address the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. Picture: AFP

The League also stood in solidarity with protesters supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, encouraging players to take a knee before the start of matches in 2020.

A statement in the wake of a terrorist attack in New Zealand four years ago also received condemnation from chief Gillon McLachlan, and an entire round of AFLW football has been dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ community.

Overseas, major sporting leagues such as the NBA, NFL, NHL and major-league baseball have all released statements on the current conflict, condemning the attacks while showing support for the Jewish community.

Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, whose cousin, police inspector Chen Amir, was murdered in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv in August — and whose family in Kibbutz Reim hid in a safe room while Hamas terrorists stalked and killed their neighbours — issued the following statement: “Hiding and silence are not an option. History will harshly judge those organisations that when Jewish babies were decapitated, when entire families were executed in cold blood, when women were raped, and when children were kidnapped, chose to remain indifferent and mute in the face of such butcheries.

“Now is the time for every CEO to offer their condolences, to publicly condemn the atrocities committed by Hamas and to send the message to every Jewish employee.

“We feel your pain, we are here for you, we care about your safety and well-being, and we will support you and your families during these heartbreaking times.

“Nothing short of such a commitment will do. If it was Ok to do so for other noble causes, then it should also be OK to do it when Jewish people are murdered.

“There are Australian Jews whose relatives and friends in Israel have been subjected to the horror of Hamas and they are seeking these words of comfort. And in light of a surge in antisemitism that is spreading like wildfire throughout our country, the AFL needs to say something, and they need to do so now.

“This is the moral, courageous and righteous action to take.”

Richmond and Hawthorn players take a knee at the MCG in 2020, in support of Black Lives Matter. Picture: Getty

Daniel Aghion, president of the Jewish Community Council of Victoria, told the Herald Sun he would welcome a statement issued by the AFL.

“The Victorian Jewish community is grateful for the support we have received to date, and continue to receive from the broader Victorian community,” he said.

“We encourage organisations to make and continue that support. Our community is traumatised. Statements of support make us feel safe and secure even though Israel is half a world away.”

“The silence this week has been deafening,” Twitter user Todd Nicolich said.

The AFL did not return comment when approached by the Herald Sun.