Randwick Council backflips on decision to fly Palestinian flag

A Sydney council has backflipped on its plan to fly the Palestinian flag out of respect for its large Jewish community.

A Sydney council has backflipped on its plan to fly the Palestinian flag above the town hall out of respect for its large Jewish community.

Randwick City Council had voted in June to fly the Palestinian flag as part of honouring International Day of Solidarity on November 29.

However, following the Hamas attack of Israel on October 7, Randwick councillor Daniel Rosenfeld brought forward the urgent motion to reverse the decision.

The Palestinian flag will no longer be flown over the Randwick town hall. Picture: Supplied

The council on Monday voted in favour of abandoning plans to fly the Palestinian flag on November 29.

Mr Rosenfeld said during the emergency general meeting on Monday flying the Palestinian flag would be “very wrong for Randwick Council to fly the Palestinian flag on 29 November”.

“Hamas atrocities really deeply affected the Jewish community,” he said.

“Fourteen hundred people of my fellow Jewish persons were slaughtered on October 7, 200 more were abducted.”

Mr Rosenfeld, whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors, said the recent pro-Palestine protests in Australia have caused anguish for many Jewish people, including himself.

A small group of Pro-Palestinian protesters, who had marched from Sydney Town Hall to Sydney Opera House, had yelled “f —k Israel” and “f —k the Jews” on October 9.

“To see people chanting these things, ‘gas the Jews’, in the city I live, in the city my grandparents escaped to, was very disturbing,” Mr Rosenfeld said on Monday.

The original plan was to fly the Palestinian flag above Randwick Town Hall on November 29. Picture: Randwick Council

Many Randwick LGA residents are Jewish, with the city being home to two synagogues, a high school, a primary school and an aged care provider.

Randwick Council takes in several suburbs in Sydney’s east, including Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, Kingsford, Kensington and Randwick.

Mr Rosenfeld also put forward a motion to hold a minutes silence “for all those effective” in the Israeli Hamas war.

The council held its minute silence at the end of Monday’s meeting in honour of all those affected by the war.

“I acknowledge any Palestinians who have been affected as well,” Mr Rosenfeld said.

Three councillors and the mayor voted against the motion on Monday, after a fierce debate between those attending the meeting.

Two councillors abstained from the vote, however their decision was recorded as against the motion.

Greens councillor Michael Olive unsuccessfully tried to amend the motion to the ensure the Palestinian flag was flown over town hall on November 29.

Mr Olive said council had previously flown the Israeli flag in February.

Greens councillor Kym Chapple said she held “deep concerns” over not flying the Palestinian flag.

She said it was important for the council to “recognise the humanity for everyone involved” in the Israeli Hamas war.

“I cannot vote for this,” Ms Chapple said.

The Australian Jewish Association Chief Executive Officer Robert Gregory said he was pleased to see Randwick Council would not be flying the Palestinian flag on November 29.

“Terrorism must be condemned not celebrated,” Mr Gregory said.

“If Randwick Council had gone ahead with that disgraceful move, AJA would have called for all decent people to show up at council and protest.

“Flying the Palestinian Arab flag after the atrocities carried out in its name is like flying the German flag right after Kristallnacht, the Japanese flag right after Pearl Harbour or raising the Taliban flag after September 11.”