Greens’ support for ‘fanatics’ endangers Jews: Council of Australian Jewry

The Greens has provided the use of office space to a group that publicly asserts Israel has ‘no right to exist’, prompting claims the party is ‘endangering’ Jewish Australians.

Greens senator Nick McKim; inset: the Tasmanian Greens' office in Argyle Street, North Hobart. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

The Greens has provided the use of office space to a group that publicly asserts Israel has “no right to exist”, prompting outrage from Jewish groups.

Tasmanian Palestine Advocacy Network has posted a statement on its Facebook page that calls on Israelis to leave Israel, which it says is “an abomination that has no right to exist”.

“It is the ethical duty of every person who identifies as ‘israeli’ (sic) to resist also,” says one of these statements, which the group attributes to a pro-Palestine writer.

“Leave ‘israel’ (sic) – make the settler colonial project untenable and unsustainable. Denounce it, refuse to call it ‘israel’ (sic) or any iteration that denies Palestinian existance (sic).

“Call it for what it is: a settler-colonial abomination that has no right to exist.”

Statement on the Facebook page of Tasmanian Palestine Advocacy Network that questions Israel's right to exist. Photo: TPAN / Supplied

According to other Facebook posts, the group late last month held a “crafting day to paint new signs for our weekly rallies” at the Tasmanian Greens’ office in ­Argyle Street, North Hobart.

This post thanks the party and Greens senator Nick McKim “for loaning us this space” on a regular basis. “Your regular support of our crafting days is extremely ­appreciated,” the group posted on July 16.

These events were about “refreshing our stock of signs for folks to use” at protests, it said.

Statement on the Tasmania Palestine Advocacy Network Facebook page showing the group was provided space at the Greens' Hobart office to prepare signs for protests. Photo: TPAN Facebook

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry accused the Greens of aiding a group that was publicly advocating the “ethnic cleansing” of Jews from Israel.

“Calling for Israelis to leave their country is a call for the removal of one ethnic group from a territory – that is called ethnic cleansing,” said the council’s Alex Ryvchin.

“The Greens are now providing material support to groups that want to ethnically cleanse Jews from their homeland.

“The links between the Greens and extremist groups need to be fully investigated and the senator (Nick McKim) should be held accountable for assisting those who harm communities and undermine the peace and stability of our country.”

Mr Ryvchin said the Greens were “openly colluding with anti-Israel fanatics and doing it on the public dime”.

“Since October 7, the Greens have openly backed some of the most odious elements in our ­society, and in doing so, have ­endangered Jewish Australians and given legitimacy to anti-­Semitism,” he said.

Senator McKim was away and uncontactable. Comment was sought from the Greens and the pro-Palestine writer.

The Tasmanian Palestine ­Advocacy Network, which describes itself as a non-profit organisation and “a small group of volunteers”, would not directly say whether it supported ­Israel’s right to exist.

“We believe that the ‘right to exist’ is held by people, not states,” the group said in a statement to The Australian.

“It is a person’s inalienable right under international law to live free from military occupation and apartheid, which ­Israel is in breach of, according to the International Court of ­Justice.

“The Tasmanian Greens offer their spaces for use by any NGO or community group, including to TPAN.”

In May, the group held a “snap rally” outside Hobart’s Playhouse Theatre, following which pro-­Palestinian protesters disrupted a performance by singer-­songwriting couple Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier.

The group did not claim responsibility for the protest, which resulted in ugly scenes inside the theatre, but praised those involved as an “anonymous group of ­absolute legends”.

It organises regular protests in Hobart “to advocate for the end of the illegal occupation of Pales­tine, the horrific bombardment in Gaza and for land return to indigenous peoples there (and everywhere)”.