Clover Moore’s ‘silence’ a threat to future of Sydney’s Jews, says leading rabbi and synagogue

Clover Moore’s ‘insufficient response’ to anti-Semitism and refusal to back a cross-faith bipartisan mayoral roundtable paints a ‘disturbing picture’ for city’s Jews, one of Australia’s most senior rabbis has declared.

Security guards outside the entrance to The Great Synagogue in the Sydney CBD after police raised security concerns. Picture: John Appleyard

City of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore’s “silence” on escalating anti-Semitism and her refusal to back a cross-faith bipartisan mayoral roundtable paints a “disturbing picture” for the future of the city’s Jews, one of Australia’s most senior rabbis has declared.

The Australian revealed on Thursday how Ms Moore spurned the citywide roundtable after her 11th-hour demands to amend a draft communique were not met, including only condemning anti-Semitism equally to Islamophobia, omitting a pledge to focus on “local issues” and changing its headline so as to not detract from her own “Sydney lord mayor” title.

The final communique was supported by 21 cross-faith bi­partisan Greater Sydney mayors and sought to promote social cohesion and combat anti-Semitism.

The chief minister of Sydney’s Great Synagogue, Rabbi Benjamin Elton, said Ms Moore had failed to properly engage with the city’s anti-Semitism crisis and had been “silent” when her Jewish ratepayers had been targeted, including those in his congregation.

“Three significant locations for the Jewish community within the City of Sydney, including places of worship, have been targeted,” the rabbi said. “The silence from the lord mayor has been deeply disheartening.”

Those sites include the synagogue’s historic CBD building – one of the oldest in Australia – which has been targeted with anti-Semitic vandalism, anti-Israel protesters and was a Jewish site listed as a target in a recent caravan bomb threat.

Rabbi Benjamin Elton at The Great Synagogue in Sydney. Picture: Nikki Short

The lord mayor hadn’t reached out to The Great Synagogue in light of that caravan incident until questions were put to her office by The Australian on Friday.

The Sydney Jewish Museum was also marked as a target and, in January, Newtown Synagogue was vandalised with Nazi symbols, both within the council area.

Rabbi Elton praised deputy lord mayor Zann Maxwell, who visited the synagogue in December. “In a time of stress, uncertainty and fear in (our) community, a show of support from our leadership goes a long way not only to provide comfort, but also protect our community while building a tolerant and cohesive society,” the rabbi said.

“Every elected official has a responsibility to stand up and do what is right. Those who support communities targeted by hateful and violent people, and choose to take a stand, will be remembered for doing what is right.”

The synagogue in a statement expressed its “deep sadness and disappointment” at Ms Moore’s roundtable refusal.

“To see an elected official choosing not to participate in creating a constructive and unifying outcome for our city paints a disturbing picture for the future of Sydney’s Jewish community,” the statement reads.

Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“We have heard from Mr Maxwell, who has made himself available to us with compassion and empathy.

“We insist that the lord mayor represents and stands up for Sydney’s Jewish community, taking action to call out rife anti-Semitism and measures to protect those who live, work and worship in our city.”

Jack Pinczewski, a director at The Great Synagogue, said: “Clover Moore might be the lord mayor but the real mayors of Sydney showed up (on Thursday) to oppose Jewish hatred.”

After Hamas’s October 7 attacks, Ms Moore criticised NSW Premier Chris Minns’ decision to light the sails of the Sydney Opera House in the Israeli flag, saying a peace dove would have been ­appropriate.

In mid-2024, City of Sydney voted to instigate a “review” into its suppliers or investments with links to Israel.

That review’s report found that no existing contracts had ties to companies on the UN register of entities with human rights concerns, but vowed to “monitor” that list and “review” any new investments with those entities in mind.

Sydney deputy lord mayor Zann Maxwell, right, visits The Great Synagogue in December. Picture: Facebook

It said such a position could damage the city’s image, but which was “within our risk appetite”, and that relying on the UN’s list – of companies that had breached human rights in different countries across the world – was a “considered” approach.

But it suggested there may be “legal implications” if refusing a company on that basis breached the Local Government Act by not providing best value for ratepayers.

The lord mayor said she had not “spurned” Thursday’s roundtable and was never able to attend, although she could have sent a representative in her place, like other mayors who couldn’t appear. She did, however, pull her council’s participation from the meeting and refrained from supporting the joint statement after her redrafting demands were not met.

Pro-Palestinian protesters target The Great Synagogue in October 2024.

Ms Moore accused people of “twisting” her actions, claiming it undermined social cohesion, and that her amendments were made in “good faith” but that she couldn’t support a communique that condemned anti-Semitism but not Islamophobia.

That was despite the statement already condemning Muslim hatred – a passage drafted by a mayor of the Islamic faith – and the roundtable convened primarily to address the slew of violent attacks targeting the Jewish community, including within Ms Moore’s own council area.

“Elected officials need to stand with all our communities through these difficult and devastating times,” she said, saying neither anti-Semitism or Islamophobia had a place in Sydney.

“I have unequivocally and consistently condemned the heinous Hamas attacks on Israel and the alarming rise in anti-Semitism, and also unequivocally and consistently condemned the indiscriminate Israeli bombing of Gaza and the alarming rise in Islamophobia.

“Now more than ever it is vital we reflect our values of diversity, solidarity and inclusivity. There is no place for violence, discrimination or expressions of hate of any kind in our city.”