Labor mulls Greens preference deal despite Holocaust, ‘false flag attack’ comments
Labor won’t rule out a preference deal with the Greens despite a candidate’s comments about Zionists, as a party staffer was counselled for suggesting Melbourne’s synagogue firebombing could be ‘false flag attack’.
Jewish leaders have slammed the Greens for selecting a candidate who described Zionists as “angry Karens” who “invoked the Holocaust” to deflect criticism as Anthony Albanese refused to rule out a preference deal with the party despite condemning it for its role in the anti-Semitism crisis.
The heavy criticism of the party came as Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi counselled her chief of staff for suggesting Melbourne’s synagogue firebombing could have been a “Zionist false flag attack”.
The Prime Minister, speaking at the Sydney Jewish Museum on Wednesday to announce $8.5m in funding for the site, called Woollahra’s latest anti-Semitic attack “horrific and shocking”, defending his government’s record fighting Jewish hatred and his response to the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing.
Mr Albanese, however, refused to rule out preference deals with the Greens – saying it was a matter for the party – who Labor, the Liberals and Jewish leaders have said have contributed to rampant anti-Semitism and societal breakdown.
He said he had personally been “attacked by the party” throughout his political career, slamming Greens members who had taken part in the “outrageous demonstration” at his Grayndler electorate office.
The Greens on Tuesday announced high-profile poet Omar Sakr as its candidate for Blaxland – a seat held by Education Minister Jason Clare that is being targeted by The Muslim Vote movement.
Blaxland will be a divisive, conflict-centric campaign, and Mr Sakr has been strident in his pro-Palestine, anti-Israel and anti-Zionist commentary.
On social media, Mr Sakr has called Zionists “angry Karens” and “privileged shits”, and said they “invoked the Holocaust” to deflect criticism – something he called a “Zionist tradition”, a movement he has labelled a “murderous cult”.
After Hamas’s October 7 atrocities, which he suggested were “provoked”, he wrote on X: “I cannot and will not condemn Hamas. I will urge them to show restraint and protect civilians, but no more and no less than that.”
Mr Sakr also called the 600 Jewish creatives who were doxxed by pro-Palestine activists in January “pathetic” and said their behaviour was “irredeemable”.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the Greens had plummeted to “new lows”.
“Not even synagogues being firebombed is enough to get them to take the anti-Semitism crisis seriously,” he said, adding that the party’s extremism could not be “rewarded” with preferences.
Zionist Federation of Australian chief executive Alon Cassuto said the party had “incited discord and consistently exploited the conflict for political gain”.
“Their new candidate believes in a ‘murderous Zionist cult’, mocks calls for ‘social cohesion’ as a Zionist conspiracy, and says it’s time to take ‘civil disobedience to the next level’,” he said.
“A large majority of the Jewish community would interpret his offensive rhetoric about Zionism as a code word for Jews.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said the party was “determined to rebrand” from environmentalism to “a party of Jew-haters”.
“Not even the torching of a synagogue or the destruction we saw last night in Woollahra seems to have given them pause,” he said.
“Instead of dialling down the rhetoric and condemning the violence, the Greens seem intent on fanning the flames.”
On Wednesday, Greens leader Adam Bandt distanced himself from Mr Sakr’s comments, saying he personally “wouldn’t use that language”. “The enormity of the Holocaust must not be diminished,” he said.
Former Guardian Australian journalist Antoun Issa was on Wednesday “counselled” by Senator Faruqi for suggesting in an Instagram post that the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing could be a “Zionist false flag attack”.
Senator Faruqi, the Greens’ anti-racism spokeswoman, said her chief of staff’s comments were “inadvisable and inappropriate”.
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