The Jewish Community Council of Victoria will suspend relations with the Islamic Council of Victoria as a result of malicious and outrageous public remarks made by the president and vice president.

The JCCV has a long and demonstrated history of commitment to interfaith and intercultural dialogue. The JCCV will continue to focus on building peace, understanding and tolerance with credible partners from other faith-based communities, including from the Victorian Islamic community. We call on others, including the Victorian Government and other Victorian faith leaders, to similarly reject working with the ICV while it continues to sow division and hate.

In recent months, Jewish leaders have held productive and respectful meetings with many reasonable Islamic leaders, although none who sit on the ICV board. The ICV leadership even refused to participate in interfaith dialogue chaired by the Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ingrid Stitt.