Incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism have been on the rise. In Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, the mayor expressed his dismay after the Israeli flag was stolen from the council chambers. Mayor Richard Shields, speaking to 2GB Radio on Oct. 31, stated that he had shown support for Israel and was surprised by the controversy and pushback he received.
The mayor explained that the flag was raised to show solidarity with the 1,400 Israelis who were killed, injured, or kidnapped in recent weeks. He also mentioned receiving emails attempting to justify Hamas’ actions in Israel, expressing his distress at the arguments made to justify the murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent people.
Local police are currently investigating the incident, but not many details are available at this stage. The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas regime in Gaza has led to an increase in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic occurrences across Australia.
In a separate incident, pro-Palestine demonstrators were filmed shouting anti-Semitic chants and burning Israeli flags outside the Sydney Opera House. Three men were also charged after performing Nazi salutes outside the Sydney Jewish Museum. A lawyer representing one of the men claimed it was a misunderstanding and not connected to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The Islamophobia Register of Australia reported a ten-fold increase in hate-fueled incidents since the conflict began. Muslim women even reported feeling at risk due to their religious attire. Several mosques in Adelaide were firebombed, further highlighting the rise in Islamophobia. These displays of hatred are partly a result of the increasing public support for Palestine during the conflict.