‘Pro-Palestinian’ Officeworks staffer refuses to laminate Jewish newspaper for kippah-wearing man

Extraordinary footage of a Melbourne Officeworks staff member refusing to laminate a Jewish newspaper for a kippah-wearing man has emerged, with the customer taking the business to an anti-discrimination tribunal | VIDEO

Officeworks staff member refused a Jewish man service.

Extraordinary footage of a ‘pro-Palestinian’ Officeworks staff member refusing to laminate a Jewish newspaper has emerged, with the Jewish customer taking Officeworks to an anti-discrimination tribunal over the confrontation.

The footage has landed the Wesfarmers-owned nationwide office supply store in a Victorian tribunal, with the Jewish man - who has asked to remain anonymous due to fears of retribution - telling The Australian he is now seriously considering moving his family to Israel because of the ordeal.

The video, filmed in a store on March 4, shows the man at a counter at the Elsternwick store presenting a copy of the Australian Jewish News, requesting for it to be laminated before an Officeworks staff member, who identified herself as a department manager, refuses him service because of her “pro-Palestinian” stance.

“I’m pro-Palestine, and we have the right to deny jobs ... it is an Officeworks position, she said.

“[Being pro-Palestine] is my position, but we have the right to deny jobs.

“I am not comfortable proceeding with it,” she said.

The staff member, who was wearing a rainbow Officeworks lanyard, then said she was not comfortable with the article that was being laminated.

“I’ve looked at the photo, I’ve looked at the headline,” she said.

The man was refused service by an Officeworks in Melbourne.

The Jewish man then pointed out the store was “in a Jewish community’’. The staff member then said the customer could wait for another staff member who would feel comfortable.

“For political reasons I’m not comfortable,” she said. When the staff member realised the customer was recording she asked him to leave and said she was calling the police.

The customer, who has since launched legal action in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, told The Australian on Thursday morning he felt he was being discriminated against “in the most crazy way’’.

“I’m just just simply asking to have a photo of us going to Israel in the Jewish News, a mainstream newspaper in our local community, to be laminated, and I’m being told that my business is being refused because I’m Jewish or Zionist or wearing a kippah in public,” he said.

“It’s beyond me, inside I’m trying to keep my calm but inside, I’m shaking because someone’s coming for me,” he said.

He said he was still in shock in the months since the incident.

The ‘pro-Palestinian’ Officeworks staffer who refused to laminate a Jewish newspaper for kippah-wearing man at the Elsternwick store in Victoria.

Officeworks says ‘our policies were incorrectly applied and in accordance with our policies, the laminating should have taken place’

“It makes you wonder, are Jews safe, are we in an environment where we’ll be protected?” he asked.

“To not even be able to go about your normal business, it makes me feel like all the stories we’ve heard about in the 1940s this is happening to me,” he said.

He said Officeworks had thanked him for the feedback for the experience in their store, and offered a $100 gift card. It was that reaction from the retailer that prompted him to commence legal action.

According to a statement of claim obtained by The Australian, the man is seeking compensation, that staff undergo anti-Semitism training and a declaration that Officeworks have contravened the Equal Opportunity Act.

The man said the experience has “definitely” left him considering moving to Israel.

“It is a matter of not if, but when, but how long will we be able to continue to go about our lives here before we just can’t do live in this beautiful country that we all love,” he said.

Dr Dvir Abramovich, chairman of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said the incident should be condemned by politicians.

“Treating Jewish people differently because of who they are is discrimination plain and simple,” Mr Abramovich said.

“Officeworks Elsternwick might as well have posted a sign in the store saying, ‘No service for Jews, Zionists or supporters of Israel’.

“ Just because someone is pro-Palestine does not give them a license to ignore equal opportunity laws,” he said.

“Imagine the public outrage if a member of the LGBTQI community, or an indigenous Australian or a disabled person were turned away,” he said.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin told The Australian the matter was “disturbing” and that the behaviour could not become normalised in society.

“It is profoundly disturbing that a young Australian was conditioned to view a visibly Jewish man as her enemy and felt entitled to engage in plainly discriminatory conduct on the basis of being ‘pro-Palestine’,” Mr Ryvchin said after receiving a phone call from Officeworks management.

A spokesperson for Officeworks told The Australian: “We want everyone to have an enjoyable shopping experience with us – whether it be shopping in store or online. We are disappointed that this did not occur with one of our customers at our Elsternwick store in March 2024.

“We can confirm that we have taken this matter extremely seriously, and since the matter occurred, have investigated internally and taken the appropriate action to ensure this doesn’t take place again.

“In this particular incident, our policies were incorrectly applied and in accordance with our Officeworks’ policies, the laminating should have taken place.

“Additionally, we have provided ongoing training and education to our team members so that they are aware of the legal requirements in respect of discrimination and of Officeworks’ policies and procedures.”

Officeworks also confirmed the staff member involved was still employed and had undergone discrimination training and had undergone “education through the Melbourne Holocaust Museum”.