War Of Words As Gaza Conflict Infiltrates Council Elections In Sydney
Image: Pro-Palestinian protesters in Sydney. Image: Wendy Bacon
By Will Thorpe
The role of councils has been brought into debate as local politics continues to feel the fall-out of the Gaza war, with opposed activists bringing candidates’ views under scrutiny, prompting the Greens to hit back.
Recently-formed lobby group Better Council blasted Greens councillors in the Eastern Suburbs and Inner West, broadly charging them with “prioritising issues in the Middle East and inciting anti-Jewish sentiment,” instead of focusing on local matters. The group appears to lack an online presence.
According to messages in a group chat for Never Again Is Now, an organisation that describes itself as combating anti-semitism, Better Council was attempting to recruit hundreds of volunteers to distribute 50,000 flyers, as reported by the Herald on 2 September.
Inner West Greens responded searingly, with an email to subscribers saying that “candidates and volunteers are being targeted by a far-right lobby group with links to the Labor and Liberal parties.”
“This is certainly not the way we Greens run our campaigns – campaigns based on connection, community, and strong progressive values, not smearing our opposition,” remarked the 7 September donation-seeking email, attributed to Inner West candidates Liz Atkins, Izabella Antoniou, Olivia Barlow, Andrew Blake and Ismet Tastan.
Controversial Outfit
Never Again Is Now is a controversial outfit, denounced by the Jewish Council of Australia as a Christian fundamentalist organisation that has held rallies platforming “speakers with long histories of bigotry and racism against Muslim people and LGBTIQA+ people.” The Jewish Council of Australia, which is critical of Israeli actions and expresses support for “freedom, equality and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis,” formed as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Better Council organiser Sophia Calland messaged the chat stating that “pro-Palestinian groups have been setting up unregistered groups [so] we need to show that we do everything above board and in accordance with the law!” Brochures distributed by the group say that residents deserve councillors focused “on rates, rubbish, and roads, not radicals!”
The latest flare-up follows the June adoption of a motion by the City of Sydney to review council investments in line with ‘Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions’ (BDS) principles; BDS is a term often used by activists advocating a tougher line on Israel. The motion was brought by Greens councillor Sylvie Ellsmore who called for an “immediate, sustainable and humanitarian ceasefire,” whilst Lord Mayor Clover Moore stated, “now more than ever we must use our voices to call for peace.”
A similar motion was rejected by the Inner West Council in a fiery session last month.
Council’s Response To Gaza Conflict
A November 2023 Greens motion in the council to fly the Palestinian flag was rejected by the Labor majority. Randwick Council backflipped on plans to fly the flag last year on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, whilst Woollahra Council has flown the Israeli flag since October last year in response to the Hamas-led atrocities on 7 October.
A BDS motion was controversially passed in December 2010 by the now-amalgamated Marrickville Council and rescinded shortly thereafter.
Contacted by this masthead, councillor Ellsmore referred to comments she made in June arguing that councils have a role in responding to the Gaza conflict. “Local government is the level of government closest to the community. We are responsible to speak up when our community asks us to.”
“There are so many people in our community directly impacted by the conflict, so many rallying outside the front of the town hall every week… Councils – and all governments – are responsible for how they spend their money. This includes ensuring council funds are not supporting companies that profit from or are complicit in, weapons and human rights abuses,” Atkins remarked.
Never Again Is Now was unable to provide comment in time for this article’s publication.
The only people campaigning outside councils are those that don’t understand what councils are responsible for. Read the minutes of all the council meetings regarding these issues, then read all the social media pages. You will see the same names again and again and again.
The truth is these people want a propaganda platform and a visible organisation/symbol to vent to. Perhaps there needs to be more education to council ratepayers on how to get involved in federal issues. I’ve met a lot of educated immigrants (as well as lots of Australians) that don’t understand who/what we’re even voting for every year. I believe part of this ignorance stems from the end of the local paper.