Jewish leaders condemn Multicultural Commission Chair’s attendance at protest

Vivienne Nguyen’s meeting with protesters comes after another of Victoria’s 12 paid multicultural commissioners came under fire for posting ‘extremist propaganda’ on social media.

Victoria's Multicultural Commission Chair, Vivienne Nguyen, second from right, has been photographed at the ‘sitintifada’ being held by pro-Palestine protesters on the steps of Victorian Parliament.

Jewish leaders say they are deeply disappointed after the chair of Victoria’s Multicultural Commission was pictured at a protest – dubbed by pro-Palestine organisers as a “sitintifada” – on the steps of state parliament last week.

Vivienne Nguyen AM’s meeting with protesters last Friday comes after another of Victoria’s 12 paid multicultural commissioners came under fire earlier this month for posting “extremist propaganda” that Jewish leaders described as “whitewashing” Hamas and “stoking the flames of anti-Semitism”.

In a photograph posted on ­social media by the Islamic Council of Victoria on Friday, using the hashtag #thesitintifada, Ms Nguyen appears alongside three men wearing Palestinian keffiyehs, with the Palestinian flag in the background.

A caption posted alongside the photograph states that “Throughout the day (protesters) are met by people passing by, like and (sic) Victorian Multicultural Commission Chair Vivienne Nguyen AM, as well as the sound (of) car horns beeping in solidarity”.

Less than three weeks ago, Jewish leaders expressed outrage over a series of posts by fellow Multicultural Commissioner Mohamed Mohideen, who is Islamic Council vice-president, in which he accused Israel of “genocide, ethnic cleansing and mass murder” in Gaza.

Mr Mohideen also shared a photo of a placard at a pro-Palestine protest which described Zionism – the movement in support of the right of the Jewish people to have a homeland in Israel – as “apartheid”, “war”, “killing”, and “evil”.

Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said it was “very disappointing and unsettling to see Ms Nguyen seemingly supporting the anti-Israel protest, especially one that uses a name that evokes memories of horrifying terrorism, including suicide bombings”.

“At a time when the community harmony and cohesion that is so important to maintaining the vibrancy of our multicultural society is becoming frayed and challenged on so many fronts, those charged with maintaining and nurturing it should do all they can to avoid lending their support to any extremist and divisive behaviour,” Dr Rubenstein said.

The caption that accompanied the Islamic Council of Victoria’s Facebook post about Victorian Multicultural Commission Chair Vivienne Nguyen’s visit to the protest on the steps of state parliament.

“A similar concern is Ms Nguyen’s seeming failure so far to act against Victorian Multicultural Commissioner Mohamed Mohideen, whose social media is replete with viciously anti-Israel comments and reposts from virulently anti-Israel sites.

“These activities provoke hatred and disharmony, exactly the opposite of what someone in that position should be doing. Disappointingly, while this issue was raised by Jewish community leaders at the start of this month, it appears at this point no action has been taken.”

Dr Rubenstein said Ms Nguyen had “to her credit” attended the “United with Israel” community gathering at Caulfield Synagogue on October 9 and a public event for the families of victims of Hamas’s October 7 terrorist atrocities.

Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory said “intifada” was a term “most often associated with the violent period of Palestinian Arab terrorism which included stabbings, car-rammings and suicide bombings on buses and in cafes”.

“It is a term that evokes fear and trauma for the Jewish community. Terrorism and violence have no place in a multicultural society,” Mr Gregory said.

“It is inappropriate for anyone in a government-appointed, taxpayer-funded role to pose at such a hateful display, let alone for Victoria’s Multicultural Commission chair to do so.

“Recently, multicultural relations in Victoria have come under strain, largely to due to a failure by many Islamic leaders to condemn Hamas and the horrific atrocities of October 7.

“In her role as chair of the Multicultural Commission, has Ms Nguyen expressed outrage over the Hamas atrocities which have devastated the Victorian Jewish community and personally impacted many Victorian Jews?”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-CEO Alex Ryvchin. Picture: Richard Dobson

Co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Alex Ryvchin, said Ms Nguyen’s attendance at the protest “was clearly an error of judgment”

“The term intifada refers to the deliberate killing of Israeli civilians in the name of the Palestinian cause. No doubt had Ms Nguyen been aware of that she never would have posed for that photo,” Mr Ryvchin said.

“This speaks to the duplicity of the anti-Israel movement. They recruit the gullible with promises of peace and justice but what they really want is war and violence.”

Ms Nguyen said she was “committed to ensuring Victoria remains an inclusive state where all Victorians feel safe and supported to practice their faiths and traditions.”

“This is a profoundly distressing time for our Jewish, Israeli, ­Islamic and Palestinian commu­nities around the world, including here in Victoria,” she said.

“While passing the steps of state parliament last week, I took the opportunity to stop and talk to those present. I have also attended multiple Jewish community events in recent weeks.

“I reiterate an unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and all forms of racism, hate and vilification, which have no place in Victoria – from anyone, anywhere.”