Boycott, divestment and sanctions movement: rally

Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) -- Anti-Semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric are not new concepts. The hatred directed against Jews by Hitler's regime defined racism and evil in the 20th century. I am concerned by recent developments in Melbourne which suggest a lack of understanding of what happened historically the last time Jewish businesses were targeted by angry protesters.

The boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) protest against Israel, including one scheduled for this Friday, and recent reports of a Nazi flag flying in suburban Melbourne, are deeply troubling and deserve a strong response. The BDS movement is racist and anti-Semitic, as it targets businesses because of their connections to Israel and the Jewish community, and it must be stopped.

I have today tabled a petition bearing almost 750 names, which calls on the government to continue its great work in cracking down on these protesters.

I also acknowledge the presence in the gallery today of Nina Bassat from the Jewish Community Council of Victoria and Sharene Hambur from the Zionists Council of Victoria, two organisations that have been tireless in their fight on this issue.

I am concerned by these protesters, as I am about the recent reports of the flag maker in Carrum, Robert Boot, who nonchalantly displayed a Nazi flag in his backyard as a means of advertising his business. This man was rightly condemned for seeking to profit from the pain and anguish in a city such as Melbourne, which has the largest number of Holocaust survivors per capita outside Israel.

We must continue to fight against these anti-Israel protests, and I encourage all Victorians to sign this petition and show that these protesters' hatred and lies have no place in our great state.