Melbourne wine bar Hope St Radio under fire over anti-Israel banner

A Melbourne wine bar and online radio station has come under fire for holding a pro-Palestine event at which a banner was made that called for the abolition of the state of Israel and described Israelis as “colonising dumb white dogs”.

Indigenous activist group This Mob Arts Collective organised the banner-making event, advertised on Instagram and held at Hope St Radio in Collingwood on Monday, ahead of several protests in support of Palestine scheduled for this week.

A banner that has angered members of Melbourne’s Jewish community.

The banner, photographed at the event and shared on social media by members of the Jewish community, displayed the words: “Free Palestine from the colonising dumb white dogs! Abolish Israel!” It also directed expletives at Bibi, the nickname for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dvir Abramovich, chair of Jewish-Australian community organisation the Anti-Defamation Commission, said he was distressed by the banner. He said it was one example of skyrocketing incidents of antisemitism unfolding in Australia, including children being harassed at school and “stomach churning” online abuse and trolling of Jewish people.

“Words matter and such incitement can lead to verbal and physical attacks, and those who crafted the banner bear responsibility for blowing on the embers of animosity,” Abramovich said.

As war between Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza escalates, Australia and countries across the globe are reporting a rise in both antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Abramovich said his organisation had been flooded with complaints about a rise in antisemitic incidents since Hamas’ deadly rampage in southern Israel on October 7.

Australia’s Islamophobia Register has also reported soaring reports of abuse among Muslim community members since the attacks.

Earlier this month, this masthead spoke to members of the Palestinian-Australian community, who revealed their children have been called terrorists at school and who reported that they had also been verbally abused in their businesses.

Following the backlash from Abramovich and other members of the Jewish community, Hope St Radio issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon condemning “antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all racism, bigotry and systems of oppression”.

“Hope St Radio should be a place that all people feel welcome and safe,” the statement said.

“Many members of our immediate and more broad communities are Jewish, and we treasure our relationships with them. Hope St Radio wholeheartedly condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all racism, bigotry and systems of oppression.

“This is why we are proud to stand in solidarity with our First Nations neighbours, with our grieving Arab and Jewish friends, and with all of those calling for an end to the violence in occupied Palestine.”

Abramovich said Hope St Radio’s apology did not go far enough.

“You cannot reject antisemitism while not rejecting the poisonous sentiments of the banner,” he said.

This Mob Arts Collective and Hope St Radio were contacted for further comment.

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