Matt Chun splits from State Library Victoria over Gaza views

The children’s author and illustrator Matt Chun has split from Victoria’s prestigious State Library over Gaza and slammed prominent Jews.

Author and illustrator Matt Chun.

The high-profile anti-Israel author and illustrator Matt Chun has split from the State Library Victoria and lashed out at two of Australia’s most prominent Jewish business families in his latest pro-Palestinian tirade.

Chun has been accused of being obsessed with Jewish families who have donated to the arts after using Instagram to declare an end to his relationship with the state library, which is heavily funded by the community Chun opposes.

Chun claimed that the SLV had “unambiguously aligned itself with the Zionist colonial project” and attacked the role of John Gandel’s Gandel Foundation and Schwartz Media, which is a partner of the library.

Chun’s connections to the library had previously raised eyebrows among the Jewish establishment, given he is seen as one of the chief critics of the Israeli government and who reportedly celebrated Hamas “freedom fighters” a day after the October 7 atrocities.

Chun accused the library, where he was Children’s Literature Fellow for two years, of lying about the reason for postponing a writing workshop for teenagers.

“Clearly the library’s true agenda is uphold Zionist interests,’’ Chun wrote.

“The library is enacting the very same program of career sabotage that we all saw being plotted and co-ordinated in the recently leaked Zionist group chat.

“This same strategy of censorship, intimidation and manipulation has been employed by Zionists within cultural spaces for decades.”

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said: “Matt Chun is obsessed with Jewish families who have for decades supported the arts as a way of giving back to the community which embraced them after the Holocaust.’’

“It is clear that the root cause of this obsession is unadulterated anti-Semitism. Thankfully we know that these views do not reflect the attitudes of the majority of Australians.”

Chun is accused of sharing the leak of details of 600 Jewish creatives from a WhatsApp group, including their occupation and in some cases social media profiles.

The Australian has revealed that Chun received $42,000 in grants from the government-funded Creative Australia last year.

He also received funding from Writers Victoria, in partnership with the Myer Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Jewish Myer family.

Chun accused Mr Gandel of being effusive in his support of Israel.

“This Zionist organisation directly funds and collaborates with the most violent colonial expansionist entities and occupation lobbyists,’’ he said.

He accused Schwartz Media of being part of a broad narrative that undermined hopes of Palestinian liberation.

SLV said the organisation was apolitical.

“The library is for everyone. It is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive and respectful place for cultural expression and engagement,’’ he said.

“The library accepts and is well aware that in the prevailing environment there are many views being expressed online and in person. This is an active conversation across the library sector and other cultural institutions.

“The library engages with a wide range of artists for their specific expertise and does not comment on the views of individuals.”

The author Clementine Ford also has stepped up her anti-Israel attacks on social media, accusing Jerusalem of abandoning their own hostages.

There is no evidence to back up this claim.