The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) is calling on Bendigo’s chamber of commerce, Be.Bendigo, to dump activist Grace Tame as a key speaker at its International Women’s Day event on Feb. 27.
The AJA’s move comes after Tame was scrutinised for appearing at a pro-Palestine rally against visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and chanting the phrase, “From Gadigal (Sydney) to Gaza, globalise the intifada.”
Tame is a victim of child sexual abuse and received an Australian of the Year award in 2021 for her advocacy for survivors of sexual assault.
In open letter to Be.Bendigo chair Nick Carter, AJA CEO Robert Gregory said Tame’s remarks caused “profound distress” among the Jewish and wider Australian community.
“The Intifada was a period of sustained violence against Jews, including suicide bombings, stabbings and shooting attacks,” he wrote in the letter obtained by The Epoch Times.
“For Australian Jews, calls to ‘globalise the Intifada’ are understood as a direct threat to our safety and our lives.
“That reality has only been reinforced in the wake of the Bondi anti-Semitic terrorist attack, which showed how such rhetoric can translate into real-world violence.”
Tame’s calls at the Sydney protest have been widely condemned by various political sides, with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns describing them as “terrible” and “distressing.”
Federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has referred to the “globalise the intifada” slogan as “a call for violence.”
Hosting Tame Sends A Message Endorsing Violence: AJA
Gregory said hosting Tame would convey a message that violence incitement is tolerated, and would leave Australian Jews feeling unwelcome in Bendigo.Tame was booked for the Victorian event before her protest chants, but the AJA said there was still time to remove her from the line-up.
“International Women’s Day should unite communities, not divide them or make any Australians feel unsafe,” Gregory said. “I respectfully urge Be.Bendigo to cancel this invitation and seek an alternative speaker.
“The Australian Jewish Association would be willing to assist in identifying a speaker whose contribution would inspire without causing distress, including, for example, a female survivor of the Bondi attack.”
Tame Defends Chant
In a video posted to social media, Tame accused “political and media classes” of focusing on her words rather than the situation in Gaza.“Disingenuously distorting definitions has been a cornerstone of Israel’s propaganda strategy for decades,” she said, claiming Israel was using ”illegal“ U.S. weapons to ”evaporate” thousands of Palestinians.
Tame claimed Israel was putting a “negative spin” on the term intifada, which she said means “shaking off” and said the Sydney protests had been peaceful but were met with police brutality.
“Our leaders go on about social cohesion, what better social cohesion than tens of thousands of people from diverse backgrounds gathering united in the pursuit of humanity?” she said.
