Fitzroy Primary School students heard chanting controversial ‘from the river to the sea’

An after-school care provider in Melbourne’s inner northeast is under investigation after young students were heard chanting a “repulsive” pro-Palestinian phrase.

An after school hours provider in Melbourne’s northeast is under investigation after young students were heard chanting a controversial pro-Palestinian phrase.

The Department of Education is conducting inquiries into a private out of school care program at Fitzroy Primary School, following the emergence of footage which captured the voices of young children shouting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

The pro-Palestine slogan – which is becoming more common at protests and encampments across the state since the start of the Israel-Hamas war – suggests Palestinians should be free from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which would wipe out Israel.

The incident occurred just before 5pm on Monday, with multiple students heard mimicking and responding to the chant.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim described the incident as “repulsive”, particularly because the phrase calls for “Israel to be obliterated”.

“It is hard to conceive of anything more repulsive and unnatural than the exploitation and conditioning of children of tender years so as to train them to call for the elimination of an entire nation or people,” he said.

“They are too young to understand what they are saying. They just parrot what they have been taught.”

Mr Wertheim said the indoctrination of young children to become a “cheer squad for mass murder” has been a feature of dictatorships, but is not something that’s happened in Australia.

Meanwhile, Online Hate Prevention Institute chief executive Andre Oboler was alarmed to hear children chant such a phrase.

“To hear young children chanting that slogan in the schoolyard is alarming,” he said.

“It highlights the normalisation of antisemitic and extremist rhetoric that has pervaded daily life, including family life, in some parts of the Australian community. It undermines Australian values and opens the door to radicalisation.”

A Department of Education spokesman said any protests organised by activists and community groups should not be held on or outside schools, “especially primary schools, where they can be frightening and distressing for young children and their parents”.

“We understand current events are deeply distressing to many members of the Victorian community, including the Jewish and Islamic communities,” he said.

“We thank our schools, principals and teachers for the support they are providing to all students at the very difficult time.”

It comes after Anthony Albanese said the “from the river to the sea” chant was a “violent statement” that had no place on Australian streets and opposed a two-state solution.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Jewish Australians.

The Prime Minister’s comments came after Education Minister Jason Clare made an embarrassing fumble on Sunday, when asked whether the phrase was intimidatory or anti-Semitic.

“I’ve seen people say that those words mean the annihilation of Israel. I’ve seen people say that it means the opposite. I’ve seen people say that they’re slogans that Israeli political parties have used too,” he said.

Meanwhile, parents have condemned pro-Palestine protesters after they rallied outside a primary and secondary school where state Education Minister Ben Carroll visited in recent weeks.

Teachers and School Staff for Palestine held protests outside Meadows Primary School in Melbourne’s northern suburbs on April 24, and Footscray High School on May 2 to “peacefully protest” Mr Carroll’s visit.

“Palestine solidarity is welcome in our schools: Ben Carroll is not,” social media posts promoting the events said.

But parents have since hit back, with one dad commenting “feel free to march wherever you like but keep OUT of our schools”.

“Politics should be kept out of school … do what you were employed to do, if not get out and let kids be kids,” another parent said.