Jumping castle business slammed as anti-Semitic after refusing Jewish school’s request
A rival business has been mistakenly singled out after a jumping castle operator rejected a Jewish school’s request, saying it wouldn’t accept “blood money”.
A Sydney jumping castle business could face legal action over their public rejection of a request from a Jewish school, with the company owner saying she wouldn’t accept “blood money”.
Police officers visited Masada College in St Ives on Wednesday morning as news broke that the school had been blasted on social media by the owner of Western Sydney Jump.
She took to the business’s Instagram page on Tuesday to share her response to a request from the school to rent outdoor games for a school function this Friday.
“There is no way I am taking a Zionist booking,” the company replied to the Masada principal’s email.
“I don’t want your blood money. Free Palestine.”
NSW Police told NCA NewsWire that while no official complaint had been made over the incident, officers were attending the St Ives school to conduct inquiries.
After her initial post, the owner asserted her “right to decline any booking” before issuing a long post on the conflict in Gaza.
“Just to be clear, this is about Zionists. Not Jews. I have zero issue with the Jewish community,” she continued.
“You know what actually blows my mind … when Palestinians chant ‘From the river to the sea. Palestine will be free!’ you find Zionists crying and saying ‘Look, they want us all dead’. “But when Zionists actually say ‘flatten Gaza’, or ‘give them hell’, or ‘there should be no limit to the number of civilian casualties in Palestine’, they say nothing.
“Like one side is ACTUALLY asking for a genocide with words that describe genocide. And the other is asking for freedom and somehow they put those asking for freedom at fault.”
Western Sydney Jump has removed its Instagram page in the fallout from the incident.
The controversy has also resulted in a rival company operating under the name Jumping Castles Western Sydney to be misidentified and abused on social media.
On Tuesday afternoon, the owner, Rebecca, shared a statement stating her business supported “all cultures to love one another”.
“Unfortunately, we have been defamed, abused, threatened by the actions of another company’s actions,” she said.
“Our family business does not condone discrimination nor do we agree with what has occurred.”
The response from Western Sydney Jump has been met with fury by Jewish groups and prominent Australians, with NSW Premier Chris Minns slamming the business owner.
“This is outrageous. It’s not in keeping with any part of our multicultural community. I condemn it completely,” Mr Minns said.
The conflict was described as “indicative of the surge in anti-Semitism” in Australia, according to Executive Council of Australian Jewry chief executive Alex Ryvchin.
“To refuse to hire a jumping castle to kids who happen to be Jewish is the height of prejudice and low bigotry. The business should be ashamed,” he said.
“The reference to blood money of course invokes the blood libel, a classic anti-Jewish myth.
“The openness of the racism shows how normalised anti-Jewish hate is becoming.”
NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the messages were “appalling, despicable and disgraceful”.
“I can’t condemn them any more than that. They have no place in a modern Australia,” he said.
“I find those comments, not only offensive, but highly racist. They should be called out for what they are.”
He also called on the sender to apologise, and said it was the “last thing” needed in the community, “particularly given the challenges we see overseas every day”.
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