Community message
- Published February 23 2025
- Community Message
SORROW AND JOY
There are no words to describe the feeling when we heard about the tragic fate of Shiri, Kfir and Ariel Bibas. And there were no words when we learned that it was not Shiri who was returned with her sons.
The slim feeling of hope that Shiri and her sons would be delivered home to their waiting husband and father, was keeping many of us strong. But that hope has been extinguished. There is no greater act of barbarism than kidnapping babies from their home at gun point.
We also mourn with the family of Oded Lifshitz, a peace activist, father and grandfather.
At the same time, we welcome home Omer Wenkert, Eliya Cohen, Tal Shoham, Omer Shem-Tov, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed and hope they are safe in the loving arms of their families.
Our friends at Zionism Victoria did an excellent job hosting a vigil to mark 500 days since the attack on October 7. We never thought that this event would be necessary, but it shows that our Jewish community will continue praying and standing strong until every hostage is home.
NO DISCRIMINATION IN OUR HOSPITALS
The JCCV wrote this week to Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas calling on her to ensure Victorian public health services are safe places for Jews to seek treatment. This letter followed the publication of a damaging antisemitic video from two Sydney-based nurses.
Minister Thomas was clear with her words this week in Parliament: “Health services have to be places of safety, and they have to be places of safety for people no matter what their background, their religion, their politics, their sexuality or their gender … It is not appropriate to bring those [political] opinions and views into a healthcare setting, because it does not create safety for patients and it does not create safety for the workforce.”
We have also seen expressions of condemnation for antisemitic acts and support for non-discriminatory healthcare from the CEOs of the Alfred Hospital, Epworth and Cabrini. But we are waiting on similar statements from all our health network managers.
It is plainly apparent, from conversations that I, and JCCV staff, have had with Jewish health professionals that public hospitals are not always welcoming and safe places for Jewish staff and patients. This has to change now. Hospital management must do better.
FIXING HATE SPEECH LAWS
The Victorian Government has listened to the JCCV and amended its new anti-vilification legislation in line with the joint request that we made with Zionism Victoria, Executive Council of Australian Jewry and Zionist Federation of Australia.
You don’t need me to tell you that there has been an explosion of hatred in our communities in recent years. Hatred is fuelled by hate speech, that is why the most extreme forms of incitement must be outlawed.
But our hate speech laws are broken – there has been only one successful prosecution for serious vilification in 25 years.
Now, with this amended bill, Victorians will have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix our hate speech laws. We urge the Parliament to come together to pass these laws.
LIFE IN MELBOURNE
Amidst the emotional rollercoaster we are experiencing, life goes on here in Melbourne.
This week, the JCCV launched our latest report, Defining Antisemitism: A Victorian Experience. In the audience, we welcomed Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner Ro Allen, members the Australian Federal Police’s Special Operation Avalite team, Victoria Police representatives, Victorian Multicultural Commissioners Sylvia Coombe and Jennifer Huppert, as well as Member for Caulfield David Southwick and Member for Box Hill Paul Hamer. Officials from the Department of Home Affairs and Department of Premier and Cabinet were also in attendance.
The broad interest goes to show that there is an appetite among government, law enforcement and human rights organisations to better understand antisemitism and how it is felt by our community. We thank all those who took the time to participate in the launch.
Later in the week, JCCV board member Rachel Flitman hosted former TV host Erin Molan in conversation on behalf of CSG. Erin travelled to Israel recently thanks to AIJAC and is one of our community’s staunches allies. Well done Rachel on your excellent interview and thanks to CSG for hosting Erin.
We also held two Jewish Immersion Programs this week. I attended an important one with the newly elected councillors in the City of Port Phillip. The councillors were engaged, informed and eager to better understand the nuances and challenges of Port Phillip’s Jewish community. We thank Temple Beth Israel for hosting this successful program.
