Katoomba shop painting ‘like one from Nazi Germany’
A store in the NSW Blue Mountains displayed the painting and signs in its front window, described as a ‘low point’ amid growing anti-Semitism.
An anti-Semitic painting at a storefront in the Blue Mountains “would not be out of place in Nazi Germany”, a leading Jewish group says, sparking a renewed warning about the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia.
The Katoomba Antique Centre displayed on its front window a painting of a rat-like person with conspiracy theories about Zionists. The character in the painting has horns, large ears, a large nose, a long tongue, and is holding puppet strings at the end of long, clawed fingers.
Text on the painting reads, “the Zionists own your government, install all politicians, control the justice system, print all fiat currency, own pharmacy and medical”.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip said the painting was a “low point”.
“These odious anti-Semitic images, together with the accompanying diatribe, would not have been out of place in Nazi Germany,” he said.
“We’ve reached a low point when dehumanising images such as this are proudly displayed in shop fronts on major suburban streets.”
Another conspiracy theory-filled sign in the window alleged Zionists, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and the Rothschilds were going to reduce the global population through vaccines.
The window also featured a “Free Palestine” flag.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said the image “provides an insight into the decayed mind of the anti-Semite and the state of our society”.
“It would be inconceivable for any other ethnic group to be publicly slandered and vilified in this way but by replacing Jew with Zionist and slapping a ‘free Palestine’ sticker nearby this will be defended as harmless political commentary,” he said.
The Katoomba Antique Centre did not respond to requests for comment.
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