The Sydney Great Synagogue criticized Sydney Mayor Clover Moore for failing to contact the Jewish community in the wake of a foiled alleged anti-Jewish terrorist plot, and for failing to attend a mayoral social cohesion roundtable amid rising antisemitic incidents in the city area, according to a Monday letter by the Australian Jewish house of worship’s leaders.
Synagogue president David Lewis and Chief Minister Dr. Rabbi Benjamin Elton were set to meet with Moore on Tuesday following the controversy.
The synagogue said that after the revelation that a potential mass casualty terrorist attack against Australian Jewish targets was averted by the discovery of an explosives-filled caravan near Sydney on January 19, they had not heard from Moore, but praised Sydney Deputy Mayor Zann Maxwell for his empathy and compassion.
“We are yet to hear from the lord mayor in the wake of the revelations of this distressing incident, which has caused fear and anxiety within our community,” said the synagogue, adding that Moore’s decision not to participate in a Thursday roundtable of 21 Sydney area mayors to address violence and extremism painted “a disturbing picture for the future of Sydney’s Jewish community.”
According to The Australian, Moore rejected the bipartisan and cross-faith roundtable and pulled out her deputy at the last minute because her demands were not met. Allegedly she would support a statement condemning antisemitism if it equally addressed Islamophobia, and it should be clear that she was the only Sydney mayor.
Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh, who cohosted Thursday’s event, told The Jerusalem Post that the roundtable “demonstrated a shared commitment of councils to combat antisemitism and promote social cohesion.” The mayors agreed in a statement to work together and across communities and called on the government at other levels to enhance hate crime legislation.
“Our communities are welcoming and connected and made stronger by our diverse views, faiths, backgrounds, cultures, and identities. The acts of hate and violence seen across Sydney must be condemned in the strongest terms, while these brazen and cowardly acts require prosecution with the full force of the law,” said the mayors.
A 'unique' roundtable
“These criminal acts aim to create fear, chaos, and division. We call on our communities to stand together, as we are standing together, to support one another during these challenging times. We unequivocally condemn the alarming rise in antisemitic attacks as we acknowledge the broader escalation of racism and violence against racial and faith-based communities, including Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists. There is no place for hate in our society.”
Nemesh said that the “unique” roundtable was “just the start of the journey, but the roundtable was successful in starting a process to ensure our communities and, in particular, the Jewish community feel safe, respected, and valued.”
The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies praised Nemesh, Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne, and Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun for leading the initiative, saying on Facebook on Friday that “This isn’t just about protecting the Jewish community; it’s about protecting the Australian values we all treasure.”
The Great Synagogue also thanked the mayors, particularly Byrne and Mannoun, for reaching across party and religious lines. However, the institution expressed confusion as to why Moore would not participate in “creating a constructive and unifying outcome for the entirety of our city.”
“How is it that constituents, places of worship, and locations of historic and cultural significance in the City of Sydney Local Government Area are being vandalized and are under threat on a daily basis, yet no hard line has been set by Lord Mayor Clover Moore?” asked the synagogue.
“We insist that the lord mayor appropriately represents and stands up for the Sydney Jewish community, taking action to call out the antisemitism that is rife on our streets and taking measures to protect those who live, work, and worship in our city,” it said.