AFL boss Andrew Dillon defends Sydney’s Bondi tribute that failed to mention Jewish community

On Friday night, ahead of the Roosters and Rabbitohs NRL match in Sydney, following a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the Bondi terror attack, the Roosters’ announcer said: “We stand with the Jewish community in Sydney, not just tonight but always.”

“I have to say for what was basically a great start to the football season last week they are a bit of a mess right now and it was a simple error of judgement,” Healy said on Friday.

“I didn’t understand, but the truth is that the word Jew was never mentioned that night… and this upset many Jews.

“Everyone was honored on the night, except the victims, the survivors, the first responders and the hero Ahmed Al Ahmed, that is, the Australian Jewish communities who were also indirect victims, many of whom are still suffering and seeking special acknowledgment.”

This imprint reviewed Pavlich’s speech and found no reference to the Jewish community.

“Tonight we come together to remember those who were injured and lost their lives at Bondi Beach in December. Tonight we stand with their families and friends,” Pavlich said..

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon conducted a series of radio interviews on Saturday and was unable to clarify whether the league had ordered the references removed. But he said Pavlich honored the victims in his speech.

“My understanding is that there was a script. I don’t know what happened to the script, but I do know that, as I said before, there was an appropriate tribute in the right scene for a horrific antisemitic attack on the Jewish community,” Dillon said.

“I didn’t see the script. I was on site as part of it. I thought Matthew did a great job hosting it. It was a fitting tribute to the victims of the horrific attack on the Jewish community.”

Asked if he would seek to confirm whether a change had been made, Dillon said: “As I said, I think this tribute in front of 40,000 people and a million people on television is absolutely the right forum. We worked with the Swans and, again, the feedback we got, not necessarily about the feedback but it was extremely positive.”

Dillon continued to deflect when pressed about the AFL’s role.

“I’ll start with the fact that the Bondi events in December last year were a horrific antisemitic attack on the Jewish community and are completely at odds with the Australian way of life and values. I’ll start with that,” he said.

“We, as Swans, thought we would prefer not to do it, but in fact we thought the appropriate forum and appropriate state would be to open the season to pay tribute to the Jewish victims and their families in front of 40,000 people at the SCG and in front of over a million people on TV.”

Pavlich was contacted for comment on Saturday.

Many members of the Jewish community, including family members who suffered tragic losses in the Bondi terror attack, were invited to the Swans’ dressing rooms after the win against the Blues; The playgroup posed for many photos and signed autographs.

Swans foundation chairman and Jewish community member Peter Ivany explained after the match how meaningful this gesture was for the children.

“I was around them and they were so happy, they lost their father and they’re under incredible hardship and the happiness that it gave them and also the sense of support that they had… they felt so appreciated, so understood,” Ivany said. Australian Jewish News after the game.

But Australian Jewish Association president Robert Gregory said it was “outrageous and disappointing” that a specific reference to the Jewish community was deliberately omitted from the commemoration.

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