‘Apartheid’ billboard fuels Gaza friction

A billboard equating Israel with apartheid-era South Africa has appeared beside one of the busiest roads in central Melbourne.

The Free Palestine billboard on City Rd in Melbourne. Picture: Aaron Francis

A billboard equating Israel with apartheid-era South Africa has appeared beside one of the busiest roads in central Melbourne, prompting condemnation from the state government and Jewish leaders.

“Apartheid,” it reads. “Wrong in South Africa. Wrong in Palestine. Free Palestine.”

The slogan is accompanied by quotes from Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and their pictures.

The billboard sits alongside the busy Kings Way overpass in South­bank, home to a restaurant and retail strip, arts precinct and Crown casino.

State Multicultural Affairs Minister Matthew Guy called on those responsible to reconsider the billboard. “This type of advertising achieves nothing except to cause more friction in our community,’’ he said.

The pro-Palestinian Sabbah Report website said the billboard had been placed by Australians for Palestine and was set to stay up for four weeks. The Australian was unable to contact the group yesterday and the company that owns the site, oOh Media, did not respond to a request for comment.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry executive director Peter Wertheim said anyone who had visited Israel knew apartheid was not practised there. He described Israel as the only Middle East country enjoying democracy and free speech.

“At a time when Islamist fanatics in Syria and Iraq are ethnically cleansing Christian and other minorities, and beheading and crucifying people ... the obsessive focus on the much smaller numbers of people affected by the Gaza conflict tells us much about the real motivation of the advertisers, which is not to support Palestinians but to try to delegitimise ­Israel.”

A City of Melbourne spokeswoman said the council had no control over billboard content and complaints should go to the ­Advertising Standards Bureau.

The row over the billboard comes amid fears of ugly scenes at the opening of the Israeli Film Festival in Sydney this evening.

NSW police have obtained ­Supreme Court orders prohibiting the Palestine Action Group protesting at the function. Its members have hit back, saying they have a right to rally.