Social cohesion shattered as Sydney streets turn into chaos
It is worth noting that the violent protests against Israeli President Isaac Herzog and the violent response of the authorities have turned the streets of Sydney into an uneducational demonstration that both jeopardizes the main purpose of his visit and tarnishes our international image.
Among a host of speakers responding to the violence at Town Hall, former prime minister Tony Abbott suggested police who punched protesters should get credit and actually be armed with tear gas and rubber bullets.
NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane called for the removal of four Labor MPs who attended the demonstration – Anthony D’Adam, Stephen Lawrence, Sarah Kaine and Cameron Murphy – on charges of “creating a frenzy”; another participant, Greens MP Abigail Boyd, claimed she was manhandled by police; and Prime Minister Chris Minns strongly defended the police response and urged the public not to judge their actions based on social media videos, which he admitted “didn’t look good”.
One Nation’s Barnaby Joyce and Melbourne Liberal MP Tim Wilson called for Grace Tame to be stripped of her Australian of the Year award for her speech at the protest. Sydney independent MPs Zali Steggall and Allegra Spend called for an investigation into allegations of police brutality, while Sydney’s Muslim community leaders likened the police response to the ICE crackdown in Minneapolis.
Given all this, and with Herzog’s visits to Canberra and Melbourne still looming, there is a risk that this trip could turn into a political mess rather than the healing and diplomatic moment it should be, which would be a tragedy.
Albanese stood by his decision to invite Herzog on Tuesday.
“President Herzog is in Australia to express sympathy and solidarity with people who are grieving and to offer support to members of the Jewish community in Australia,” Albanese said. he said.
“I will treat Chairman Herzog with respect. I have known him for a long time. He is someone with whom you can have a respectful discussion while examining existing differences.”
Given what happened in Sydney on Monday, and the strength of feeling about Herzog in some sections of society, it might be worth considering whether a spiritual leader rather than a former politician might be more appropriate for a period of mourning.
Nearly three weeks ago, we stood shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community in Sydney on the National Day of Mourning to think of those killed in the horrific Bondi Beach attack, to reflect on their lives and work, and to pray for the right structures to be put in place to prevent a repeat of this atrocity and share the common humanity that unites all Australians at a time of national tragedy.
Now, thanks to the actions of a small handful of protesters and protest laws that have left the police in a violent stalemate, we are back to where we were before Christmas; We began to think about how to defuse the excitement of an issue that should never be fueled by the debate and indecision of politicians and federal and state agencies.
But if we look carefully beyond the hoard of insensitive, bellicose and point-scoring politicians, you will find the grieving families of terror attack victims and Sydney’s Jewish community who deserve so much better.
Tragically, the cacophony in wider society can only serve as a reminder to grieving families that the hatred they feared before December 14 is clear and present. So much for social harmony.
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