Community wants Israeli hostages home
The nation’s biggest Bring Them Home Now poster has been unveiled in St Kilda, with members of the community calling for the return of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.
The nation’s biggest Bring Them Home Now poster has been unveiled in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda, with members of the community calling for the return of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.
After months of designing and weeks of co-ordinating with printers and artists, Mottel Gestetner has finally pinned up a 27m x 2.2m poster to raise awareness of the hostages still captive and to send a message of encouragement and strength to the Jewish diaspora.
He was joined by members of the Israeli, Jewish and wider community, with the poster earning honks from cars passing by the busy intersection.
“There are multiple theatres of engagement. It’s important to influence at the political level but I also think making sure the Jewish world are motivated and we show and project to the people in Israel the love and support we have for them,” Mr Gestetner said.
“I think everybody has a role to play. My mantra is everybody can make a difference. And I think what we are trying to do is show is the power of good over evil, light over darkness, and we are steadfast in our support for Israel.”
Mr Gestetner has been helping to put up posters around Melbourne since October 7. “It’s a passion project, so this is what I do as a hobby but I work full-time in mergers and acquisitions,” he said. “We have no free time until the hostages are free.”
Liberal MP and member for Caulfield David Southwick was among the hundreds to attend the site of the poster on Sunday.
“At the heart of the mission lies the fate of 130 innocent souls still in captivity,” he wrote on social media.
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