Communities divided as more Melbourne councils pass ceasefire motions

Hundreds of pro-Palestine supporters have rallied with flags and chants outside two local government meetings as three Melbourne councils passed Israel-Hamas ceasefire motions in 24 hours.

The peak body for councils is defending local government as the appropriate forum for discussion of complex geopolitical matters in the face of criticism from Jewish groups and dissenting councillors. Seven Melbourne councils have so far passed motions calling for a ceasefire.

Pro-Palestine supporters outside Wyndham’s council chambers in Werribee on Tuesday night.Credit: Justin McManus

Wyndham council, in Melbourne’s outer west, passed motions on Tuesday night, following Darebin and Hume City councils in Melbourne’s north on Monday night. A similar motion was debated at Monash council on Tuesday but was ultimately voted down.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters attended rallies outside the council chambers before some of the meetings, where fiery scenes also unfolded, with chanting, cheering and yelling from the public galleries.

At Monday’s meeting in Darebin, the mayor adjourned the meeting for 20 minutes due to ongoing interruption from activists, while a similar group at Monash’s meeting was warned about causing disorder in the chamber.

Labor councillor Geoff Lake, in voting against the Monash motion, said it was “divisive” and not an appropriate matter for the council to debate as it was not core to the running of local affairs.

“There are some in our community who support the motion that’s been presented tonight. I know there are some who strongly oppose it,” he said.

“What I also noted though, is that the great majority of our community … I have no doubt are of the view that this is not a matter that their council, the city of Monash, [should comment on].”

Greens councillor Anjalee de Silva, who voted in favour of the motion, said councillors had an obligation to speak out on the conflict.

“In my view, it is not our role as leaders and as representatives to stand by in silence, and in relative comfort, while such suffering is taking place on our watch,” she said.

“In my view, what would be more divisive than saying something, would be to abrogate our moral responsibilities as members of this chamber by standing by and saying nothing when we have been called upon to say so much.”

It brings the known tally of Victorian councils that passed motions calling for a ceasefire to seven, after Merri-bek, Maribyrnong, Dandenong and Yarra all passed them in the past month.

The Islamic Council of Victoria has confirmed it is attempting to convince Banyule and Brimbank councils to adopt similar motions.

Last month, Geelong council executive knocked back an attempt for a motion on safety grounds, while a ceasefire motion debated at Shepparton Council was voted down.

The ceasefire motions have varied in their wording and actions from council to council – a number include solidarity statements with affected members of their communities, while also condemning violence and committing to writing to the federal government to call for an immediate ceasefire.

Councils to have passed ceasefire motions as of December 20

• Merri-bek 
• Maribyrnong
• Dandenong
• Yarra
• Hume
• Darebin
• Wyndham

Others go further – including Merri-bek, Darebin and Maribyrnong – by committing to flying the Palestinian flag at council chambers and investigating ways the councils can cancel contracts with “companies that support Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine or profit from it”.

The motions, and their accompanying debates, have seen unprecedented tensions play out at Victorian councils. Merri-bek councillor Oscar Yildiz revealed last month he and his family had received death threats after he voted against his council’s ceasefire motion.

Prominent Jewish groups have condemned ceasefire motions perceived to be favouring the Palestinian cause, with the Jewish Community Council of Victoria stating it had been contacted by Jewish residents living in those council areas, who were feeling “anxious, afraid and angry”.

“Jewish residents are not being consulted by councillors and, in many cases, do not feel safe to attend council meetings and speak out,” said the council’s president Philip Zajac.

“The JCCV has written to many of the councillors involved in these decisions to advocate on behalf of Jewish residents and to inform them that these motions are damaging social cohesion, creating unsafe neighbourhoods and alienating local residents.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin took aim at councils that had committed to boycott clauses.

“Whenever councils indulge in anti-Israel foreign policy romps, the impact on the Middle East is precisely nil, but their ratepayers end up paying millions to change car fleets, IT and other infrastructure that runs on Israeli innovation,” he said.

President of the Islamic Council of Victoria Adel Salman, who spoke outside Wyndham’s council chambers on Tuesday night, said he “did not dismiss” that there would be Jewish community members who were feeling intimated or uncomfortable as a result of these motions, but stressed his belief that criticising Israel was not antisemitic.

“There’s precedent to councils having passed motions on issues other than roads, rates and rubbish ... it would be hypocritical to say there isn’t,” he said. “Governments of all levels have [historically] stopped buying from South African-aligned businesses supporting apartheid … look at the sanctions imposed on Russia.

“This is such a traumatic situation for so many Australians of all backgrounds. Local council, as the first tier of government, needs to be cognisant of the impact and trauma on the wellbeing of a lot of their residents.”

Melbourne council areas with large Jewish populations have also passed motions and made public statements in solidarity with their communities, but did not include calls for a ceasefire.

Glen Eira council in Melbourne’s east passed a condolence motion on October 17, stating that it “expresses its deepest condolences to the people of Israel, the families and friends of those slaughtered and the innocent people of Gaza who are under terrorist rule, and wishes a speedy recovery to all of those who were injured”.

A crowd of pro-Palestinian activists and community members outside Broadmeadows Town Hall on Monday night.

The Stonnington council passed a motion on October 16 committing to lighting up Malvern Town Hall and Prahran Town Hall in the blue and white of the Israel flag for a week and said, “the humanitarian crisis against innocent civilians in the wake of the surprise attack by Hamas is deeply concerning”.

The peak body for councils, the Municipal Association of Victoria, defended councils’ role in discussing world affairs, with president David Clark suggesting that local governments were forced to step in because other levels of government weren’t being responsive to the public.

“As local leaders, councillors and councils have an important public role to provide a forum for issues of significant concern, even though they may not be the normal business of council,” he said.

“This is especially the case when other elected levels of government choose not to enter these debates in order to assist the public to understand the complexity and depth of the matter at hand.

“Councils recognise their key role in fostering respectful debate which has regard for all who live in the community – our multicultural society is a great strength of Australia as is our tolerance for others. Both need to be supported and maintained.”

Get the day’s breaking news, entertainment ideas and a long read to enjoy. Sign up to receive our Evening Edition newsletter here.