A Melbourne council has voted to fly the Palestinian flag on a local government building and condemn the words of “senior Israeli politicians and military officials.” Zionism Victoria, representing the Jewish community, has described this step as one sided and fuelled by either ignorance or malice. They criticized the motion for not mentioning or condemning Hamas’ atrocities. They mentioned that Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7, killing Israelis and abducting women and children. This action by Hamas prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare “we are at war.”
The Merri-bek City Council, which covers suburbs including Brunswick, Coburg, and Pascoe Vale, voted to raise the Palestinian flag on the fourth flag pole of its Civic Centre in response to the ongoing conflict. This ‘War in Gaza’ motion was moved by councillor Sue Bolton. The motion condemned the words of Israeli politicians and military officials and called for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of the “siege on Gaza.”
Some council members viewed it as an issue that the council should not take a position on. They argued that council members should use other platforms for international issues other than voting as it did not represent the local community. Zionism Victoria also criticized the motion as being one sided and ignoring the reality of the complex conflict. Israel Defense Force continues to work to destroy Hamas terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, including tunnels.