Monique Ryan blasted by Bialik principal for ‘intolerable’ online stance on Israel war

The principal of a leading Melbourne Jewish school has ripped into Teal MP Monique Ryan, accusing her of failing to condemn a “terrorist death cult” in her online comments about the war in Israel.

The principal of a leading Melbourne Jewish school has ripped into Teal MP Monique Ryan for her “intolerable” take on the Israel-Gaza war in a furious two-page letter.

Bialik principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner, in a letter obtained by the Herald Sun on Thursday, questioned federal MP Monique Ryan’s “blindness” to what is occurring in Israel, accusing her of failing to condemn “a terrorist death cult”.

“I write as principal of the only Jewish school in your electorate, a school with hundreds of children and parents who you represent, and a school which has multiple family members attending, online and in person, funerals of murdered loved ones in Israel,” he wrote.

“No one wants to see innocents harmed in any way, and in any jurisdiction, even in a war.

“Nevertheless, your reference to the suffering only in Gaza is unacceptable.”

Bialik principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner has questioned federal MP Monique Ryan’s ‘blindness’ to what is occurring in Israel.

While Ms Ryan has not directly called out the terror attacks online, in parliament on October 17 the MP gave a speech “unequivocally” condemning Hamas.

“The decision of Hamas to attack Israeli towns and villages was indefensible. The heinous acts of these terrorists: the targeting and murder of civilians, taking of Israeli hostages, murderous and indiscriminate rocket fire, were inexcusable and abhorrent,” she said.

“We should not equate Hamas with the civilian population in Gaza, who this week, along with Israelis, are paying the price for Hamas’ reprehensible actions. Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people; it does not reflect their needs and aspirations. They deserve better.”

Mr Stowe-Lindner, however, suggested the Kooyong MP was failing to represent her Jewish constituents by only highlighting the suffering of one side of the conflict on social media.

“Perhaps a reference to the intolerable suffering of the families of 1400 Israeli civilians on October 7 who were murdered, raped, beheaded would be appropriate too?” he wrote.

“Or to those Jewish families sheltering in bomb shelters from 5,000 Hamas rockets in just a few hours on that day who were wiped out through hand grenades being thrown into their shelters? Or to that catastrophe as a pogrom, the deadliest day for world Judaism since the Holocaust?

“Or to a country’s right to self defence when faced by a terrorist attack that

murdered hundreds of their citizens and snatched (and still hold) over 200 hostages who include babies, children, dementia sufferers and Holocaust survivors.”

Mr Stowe-Lindner noted that Ms Ryan had referenced Hamas in a post in response to the October 7 massacre, in which she said: “Hamas has made the road to a two-state solution much harder. Israel has every right to defend its people’ – is that all you have to say? ‘Much harder?”.

But the principal said the “vague comment” did not recognise the “suffering in Israel or the murder of Jews”.

Dr Monique Ryan has been criticised for her stance on the war in Israel. Picture: NCA Newswire/Martin Ollman

“I agree with you about the horror of the suffering in Gaza, and that we all need to find a way to stop it. But only one sentence on Hamas as making things ‘much harder’?” he said.

The Bialik principal, using Ms Ryan’s own word’s to describe the scenes at a protest last month in Sydney, suggested the MP recognise the “traumatic and alienating effect” on Jewish communities.

“Intolerable also is the reaction of mobs calling for Jews to be gassed here in Australia, or apparently peaceful crowds with placards proclaiming ‘from the river to the sea’ which for those with any understanding of geography is a call for the ethnic cleansing and destruction of the world’s only Jewish state,” he said.

“Intolerable’ is the thought that one side – Israel – should pause in this war whilst the other side continues to hold hundreds of civilians hostage and rain hundreds of rockets on civilian populations.”

Mr Stowe-Lindner called for Ms Ryan to support a ceasefire by Hamas involving the release of hostages, noting children had been held by the designated terrorist organisation for almost a month.

“An acknowledgement of the suffering of children on all sides — this would ‘tolerable’, as would an unashamed and unreserved condemnation of Hamas, a terrorist death cult,” he said.

Ms Ryan has been contacted for comment.