Greens hire anti-Israel comic for launch, as Adam Bandt cans event

The Greens have cancelled a free community lunch in Prahran, days after hiring an anti-Israel comedian to host its new candidate in Melbourne’s largest Jewish electorate.

Rose Callaghan’s social media posts have been criticised by Macnamara MP Josh Burns.

The Victorian Greens enlisted a comedian to host a recent campaign launch who rejected that Hamas was a terrorist organisation and trolled the area’s Jewish incumbent, Labor MP Josh Burns, in a series of personal attacks about Zionism and his family.

The Greens had booked comedian Tom Ballard to launch candidate Sonya Semmens’ tilt at Macnamara – the federal seat with Victoria’s largest Jewish population – but who was dropped following revelations he had performed the Nazi salute multiple times during a recent comedy show, replacing him with Rose Callaghan.

On Wednesday, Ms Callaghan launched the Greens’ bid to topple Mr Burns – one of Labor’s strongest voices on anti-Semitism – but The Australian can now reveal her string of social media posts appearing to defend Hamas and target the ALP incumbent.

In October, she shared her dismay with descriptions of Hamas as a terrorist organisation, saying that instead they were “a resistance group”, suggesting that Israel should instead be slapped with a terror listing.

Ms Callaghan wrote on X: “The media calling Hamas a terrorist group in every breath rather than a resistance group fighting for Palestinians while also not calling Israel a terrorist group is sending me … (an informal term to suggest someone was laughing).”

Rose Callaghan responds to Josh Burns' post by asking "why do you support genocide".

Ms Callaghan has also made a series of social media posts targeting Mr Burns, accusing him of supporting genocide and mocking the fact his grandfather lived in Israel and fought in its war of independence.

“Never ask a woman her age, a man his salary, Josh Burns what his grandpa was doing in Haifa in 1948,” she said in response to a post by Mr Burns on his family ties with Israel.

The comedian has also suggested on X that Australian Zionists worked from a “playbook” that sought to overplay anti-Semitism – claiming that they changed its definition to suit how they “felt” – and had “amnesia” about anything before Hamas’ October 7 attacks.

Ms Callaghan also slammed Mr Burns for visiting Israel just two months after those attacks, shared posts referring to Zionists as “Zios”, and said that Mr Burns’ “whole political personality” was that he’s a “nice young Jewish boy”.

“(Mr Burns) doesn’t seem to have an opinion on anything else, obviously I respect his faith but I don’t respect Zionism,” she wrote in late 2023 on X.

Comedian Rose Callaghan says Hamas are a resistance group in a social media post.

Ms Callaghan said her comment on Hamas was taken out of context when approached by The Australian.

“My point was about the media’s refusal to acknowledge Israel as a state being investigated by the International Court of Justice for genocide, not my views on Hamas,” she said.

It’s understood the Greens were not aware of Ms Callaghan’s comments before enlisting her as an MC.

Mr Burns slammed the Greens, saying it risked normalising anti-Semitism in the community by platforming comedians who defended Hamas or performed the Nazi salute.

“If the Greens want to replace a comedian who performed a Nazi salute with one who supports terror organisations and attacks my family, that’s really a matter for them,” Mr Burns said.

“My grandfather was an incredible person. If he was alive today, I know he’d want to see peace and safety in the Middle East.

“However, the Greens must consider how platforming people like this has normalised anti-Semitism in our community and resulted in the escalation we’ve seen in recent months.

“Surely they could find someone more appropriate, particularly to launch a campaign in the electorate that is home to Victoria’s largest Jewish community.”

The Greens selection of Ms Callaghan to host the event was a last-minute announcement after quietly dropping their previously announced MC, Mr Ballard – an active party supporter who regularly participates in fundraisers and hosts a Greens podcast.

Mr Ballard was taking part in a show at the Basement Comedy Club in January when he allegedly began using the illegal salute in a skit, which prompted some Jewish members in the crowd to start filming.

The 22 seconds of footage appeared to show Mr Ballard perform the salute at least three times.

Anti-Greens protesters march at the Greens ‘Southside Community BBQ event at the busy Chapel Street Princes Gardens precinct. Picture: Supplied

It comes after a group of 100 Jewish activists compelled Greens leader Adam Bandt to abruptly cancel a “community BBQ” event in their former inner-Melbourne Prahran electorate on Saturday, as the party rallied activists for a “doorknock for Palestine” campaign in Labor’s Wills seat.

Following their defeat in the seat of Prahran by the Liberal Party this month, the Greens organised a “Southside Community BBQ” event at the busy Chapel Street Princes Gardens precinct in an attempt to haul in new voters for the federal election.

“Adam is hosting a free BBQ for our community in the south,” the online campaign read, which was also delivered by pamphlets to homes.

Greens candidate for the federal seat of Macnamara Ms Semmens was also meant to attend.

The invitation said it was “super important” to make sure Mr Bandt was re-elected in the upcoming federal election, which called for the “thousands” of new voters in the electorate to “keep this area Green”.

But The Australian understands the party had advised Victoria Police it would cancel the event on Saturday after a “silent” snap pro-Israel march was organised to oppose Mr Bandt’s appearance.

A Greens spokesman said the event was cancelled due to extreme weather concerns and did not comment further, a claim that has been rebuked by J-United protest organiser Sharon Kuper.

The Greens invitation pamphlet sent to local homes.

Ms Kuper accused the Greens of hypocrisy after the BBQ event was suddenly scrubbed and said the leader of the party didn’t want to face off against the Jews they had “demonised”.

“Adam Bandt and Sonya Semmens learned that 100 Jews were planning a silent protest at their BBQ and despite Greens members participating in aggressive protests in the last 17 months, they cancelled or moved their event, rather than be confronted by the Zionists they had demonised,” Ms Kuper said.

It comes as the party engaged with pro-Palestinian activists for their “doorknock for Palestine” election campaign that was shared among mainstream activist channels over the weekend.

The doorknock campaign kicked off in Labor’s federal seat of Wills on Sunday, which is represented by MP Peter Khalil.

The state’s Liberal Party MP Rachel Westaway claimed victory in Prahran in February 8’s by-election, marking the first time the Liberals have held the seat since 2010.