Call for NSW community relations head to be sacked over support for Israel
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Version 0 of 1. Arabic community leaders have called for the chair of the New South Wales Community Relations Commission (CRC), Vic Alhadeff, to be sacked over his public support for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. In a joint statement to the NSW citizenship minister, Victor Dominello, representatives from a number of Arabic community groups said they had “grave concerns” and did not believe Alhadeff “is capable of exercising sound judgment on community relations”. “We call on you as the minister responsible for his appointment to ask for Mr Alhadeff’s resignation and to replace him with someone who is willing to set his or her own views to one side, so far as public statements are concerned, to ensure that the CRC and its role remain acceptable to the whole NSW community,” they said. Last week Alhadeff, who is also the chief executive of the NSW Board of Jewish Deputies, emailed members of the Jewish community condemning rocket attacks on Israel by the militant group Hamas. At least 170 Palestinians have been killed in ensuing air strikes on Gaza, and more than 800 rockets have been fired into Israel. Alhadeff wrote that Hamas was “violating international law and engaging in war crimes as its militants launch rockets indiscriminately at civilians from civilian areas”. “It intentionally puts innocent Palestinians at risk to protect its operatives,” he wrote. “Israel is operating with care to avoid civilian casualties.” The statement from the Arabic community groups said they had “refrained from making public statements about Mr Alhadeff’s appointment to date, despite our reservations, as we had hoped that he would be unbiased”. “It is now obvious that this is not possible.” Writing in Guardian Australia, the former Victorian multicultural affairs commissioner Joseph Wakim said Alhadeff’s role “is to prevent this kind of stone throwing, not engage in it”. "What message does his statement send to half a million Australian citizens of Arab ancestry, many with relatives cowering under beds in Gaza?" he said Alhadeff, who was appointed as the chair of the CRC in December, was last week reprimanded by the NSW premier, Mike Baird, for making the email comments. While noting, “few people have done more to promote inter-faith engagement and understanding between the Jewish and Muslim communities in NSW than Mr Alhadeff,” Baird said the council’s role was to bring multicultural communities together and promote harmony. “While Mr Alhadeff was not writing in his capacity as CRC chair, his statements may be considered inconsistent with these objectives,” Baird said. “He has acknowledged the need to focus on issues in NSW and avoid using inappropriate language regarding overseas conflicts.” A spokesman for the premier said his position in light of the joint statement was unchanged. In response on Monday, Alhadeff indicated he would remain in the role. “The vast majority of people who know of my bridge-building work in the Muslim and Arab sectors and across a range of communities would not want us to focus on one overseas conflict to the exclusion of everything else,” he said. “There will always be conflicts overseas, but here in Australia we have 200 cultures living side by side and in peace. As Australians living in Australia, I urge all of us to put to one side any differences we might have about overseas matters and to respect each other as members of a shared humanity.” |