A Jewish man in Melbourne has lodged a case against the Greens and its leader Adam Bandt, accusing the party of breaching hate laws.
Menachem Vorchheimer has submitted a seven-page document to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Human Rights Division, alleging that Bandt and the Greens have been aware of, and not addressed, hateful chants, and signs displayed at Melbourne’s pro-Palestine rallies.
The document opens by explaining that Israel is central to Jewish identity and that Jews hold the right of self-determination in their historical and ancestral homeland.
But since the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel by Hamas, Vorchheimer argues rallies in Melbourne have fostered anti-Semitism, often under the watch of the Greens who have been vocal supporters at pro-Palestine events.
“These rallies have become a place where anti-Semitism and incitement of hatred against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or severe ridicule of Jews based on their race and/or religious beliefs or activities is propagated,” Vorchheimer said in his submission to the tribunal.
“These rallies have been promoted, endorsed, attended and/or led by Australian Greens, including its elected leader Adam Bandt MP.”
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In his submission, Vorchheimer says he wrote to Bandt in late October 2023, expressing his concerns around the behaviour of Bandt and the Greens, which he believes violate sections 7, 8, 24 and/or 25 of the Act.
Those sections of the Act assert that a person must not use race or religion to incite hate, must not engage in conduct that will knowingly incite hate, and must not commit serious religious vilification.
A man waves a Palestinian flag in front of police officers during protests and blockades aimed at disrupting the Land Forces International Defence Expo on Spencer Street in Melbourne, Australia on Sept. 11, 2024. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images
Vorchheimer said he had put Bandt “on notice” that his role at pro-Palestine events rendered the political leader liable for assisting in breaching the Act.
In the document, Vorchheimer goes on to mention placards at pro-Palestine events equating Jews to Nazis and various anti-Semitic chants, including “khaybar, khaybar, ya yahud”—which celebrates a historic slaughter of Jews.
He also noted the case of a man who had been arrested under the Act after leading a crowd in Melbourne to chant “all Zionists are terrorists”—an event he believed should have caused Bandt to take stock of the situation at rallies.
Zionism is the belief in a Jewish state in Israel where Jews are able to self-govern, while Judaism is considered an ethno-religion, which means people can identify as Jewish by race, religion or both.
The documents state that Vorchheimer contacted Bandt on a second occasion in 2024 without a satisfactory outcome.
The Melbourne Jewish man says hate fostered at the rallies has resulted in attacks on Jewish people, the theft and burning of Israeli flags, and incidents like the arson of the Adass Israel Synagogue.
Damage is seen following a firebombing at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia on Dec. 9, 2024. AAP Image/Yumi Rosenbaum
A condition sought by Vorchheimer through the tribunal is Bandt and the Greens publicly acknowledge that it is unlawful to incite hatred and that the label of “terrorist” is deeply offensive.
Vorchheimer has also asked that Bandt and the Greens acknowledge that the right to protest and free expression is subject to reasonable limitations.
Bandt’s office was contacted for comment.
