Conflict and tragedy not a hall pass for activists, says social cohesion envoy

Anthony Albanese’s social cohesion envoy says conflicts and tragedy abroad don’t give activists – or political parties – free reign to do anything they want in the name of their cause.

Anthony Albanese’s special envoy for social cohesion Peter Khalil, the Labor member for Wills. Picture: Gary Ramage

Anthony Albanese’s special envoy for social cohesion says conflicts and tragedy abroad do not give activists, or certain political parties, free rein to do anything they want in the name of that cause in Australia.

Those who sought to promote their cause through violence, vilification and criminality, Wills MP Peter Khalil told The Weekend Australian, were “morally bankrupt”, adding that although activists who disrupted Myer’s Christmas window launch in Melbourne were within their legal right to do so, their actions lacked “judgment and decency”.

Mr Khalil’s comments came before an anti-Israel rampage in Sydney’s east overnight on Thursday, during which a car was torched and a dozen others graffitied with “f..k Israel”, as well as high-profile restaurant Chiswick – in an area home to the city’s largest Jewish population.

“The argument that ‘with all this terrible stuff happening, therefore anything done in the name of that (cause) is legitimate’, is morally bankrupt,” Mr Khalil said of protest activity stretching into criminality, such as harassment or the vandalisation of electorate offices, including his own.

Protesting in the name of overseas conflict “does not give anyone the right to conduct harm to others, it’s not morally acceptable and most Australians won’t accept it”, he said.

Appointed to the envoy role in July, Mr Khalil’s intervention comes after Myer aborted its Christmas window launch due to the Melbourne protests, a likely precursor to similar protest activities across the holiday period, and before the anti-Israel attack in Sydney.

In October, a 17-year-old faced court after allegedly setting small fires at Macnamara MP Josh Burns’s electorate office four months earlier, doing $55,000 worth of damage. Last month Mr Khalil’s office was tagged with Hamas’s red triangle symbol and doused with an “unknown liquid”.

Mr Khalil is in a battle to retain Wills in the face of a challenge from former Greens Victoria leader Samantha Ratnam. The Greens’ NSW youth division called the damage to the MP’s office a “legitimate form of nonviolent direct action”.

Mr Khalil’s office was vandalised in October.

Mr Khalil said that notion was “morally unacceptable” and the majority of Australians would agree with his assessment.

“It’s morally questionable to (believe) that something terrible happening overseas justifies any (type of) action here,” he said.

“It’s disturbing that there are a small number of people who think it’s legitimate to exercise their expression through violent means … (electorate) offices have been targeted, staff helping people (have been targeted).

“There is deep pain and anguish felt by Australia’s Jewish, Muslim and Palestinian communities, but acts of violence or intimidation do nothing to change the circumstances in the Middle East.”

Of the Greens who backed the vandalism – Labor sources have alleged that party’s figures have encouraged activists and then tried to distance themselves when offices were targeted – Mr Khalil said Australians would be unlikely to support any person or party advocating criminal behaviour.

“Most Australians would say expressing your political views through acts of vandalism is unacceptable, and I don’t agree with the Greens or any others who think that’s a legitimate form of protest,” he said.

The envoy said it appeared some parties had forgotten that MPs had a responsibility to not use societal issues to “sow discord” or “inflame tensions”.

“We have a responsibility to democratic institutions to build them up, not tear them down,” Mr Khalil said.

“It’s classic populism … manipulating grievances to sow discord to prop up (their) short-term political gain.”

Mr Khalil said too many politicians had whipped up anger with the “ ‘political class’ … when they themselves are members of the political class”.

“There’s a choice to be a politician or a political leader, and it’s much harder to be a leader,” he said.

Josh Burns’s office was vandalised in June. Picture: AAP

“There’s always work to be done to improve our democracy, but there’s those who are choosing to deliberately degrade it in some of their actions.”

Mr Khalil’s comments come after Victorian Labor Premier Jacinta Allan slammed activists who disrupted Myer’s Christmas window launch, saying a group had “politicised” the event, “egged on” by those who have stoked division.

Mr Khalil stressed that the government would continue to protect the right to peaceful protest as a “fundamental right”, but that – particularly given it was an event aimed at children and unrelated to the conflict – activists should also use some “judgment”.

“They should ask themselves whether it was an effective way to communicate their views,” Mr Khalil said.

“It becomes a question of basic decency and judgment.

“A protest, even if peaceful, that disrupts a children’s event, does that further any cause? Everyone has a right, but judgment is also part of exercising that right, and decency and common sense in thinking (how and when to protest).”

Children at the Myer Christmas windows display in November. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Research release on Tuesday showed nearly half of Australians believed immigration numbers were too high amid a broad decline in social cohesion and more negative attitudes toward religious groups.

Mr Khalil said Australia’s “precious multi-faith, harmonious society” was “under strain”, but that it had been built up by goodwill, and he was encouraged by the work of community and faith leaders amid “record high” anti-Semitism and rising Islamophobia.

Australia’s social harmony “happened because everyone committed to it”, he said.

“It’s worth protecting, and the government can do many things, but it isn’t just us, but an obligation across society.

“It can mean if you disagree with one another, but still make that effort to listen to their point of view in a peaceful way, you’ve added to social cohesion. If millions of people can do that, it all rounds up.”

Lamenting how “media fragmentation” and social media had exacerbated divisions in society, he said sensationalism and misinformation had incubated online.

“And people are less likely to engage with each other, because there are pockets of differences where people have different realities,” Mr Khalil said.