Rachel Baxendale Reporter Canberra
Liberal senator James Paterson says a Facebook post by Greens MP Adam Bandt which included Nazi-sympathiser imagery of a Jewish banker is “just the latest” in a pattern of anti-Semitic behaviour by the party.
Mr Bandt has removed the post and apologised “for any offence caused”, amid outrage from the Jewish community, condemnation from Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane, and claims from both Liberal and Labor-linked commentators that the incident follows a series of similar instances involving the Greens.
The post, urging Labor to block Malcolm Turnbull’s “tax cuts for millionaires” and featuring a hook-nosed caricature of a Jewish banker similar to images notoriously published in Nazi-sympathiser newspaper Der Stürmer during the Holocaust, appeared on Mr Bandt’s Facebook page on yesterday, before being taken down this morning.
A spokesman for Mr Bandt said the “clip-art image” was intended to portray a top-hatted millionaire benefiting from the tax cuts.
“Many cartoonists often use top hats to portray rich people,” the spokesman said. “However, some people have been offended by this particular image so we have taken it down.
“We sincerely apologise for any offence caused.”
Senator Paterson said the “sickening incident” was “just the latest in a pattern of behaviour”.
“In Melbourne Ports — the electorate with the second most Jews in the country — they have again endorsed a candidate, Steph Hodgins-May, who boycotted an event because it was co-hosted by the Zionist Council of Victoria,” he said.
“A Greens activist left 30 pieces of silver — a well-known anti-Semitic trope — on the desk of a Jewish councillor in the City of Port Phillip after he failed to support their candidate for mayor.
“The Greens leader Richard Di Natale used a condolence motion in the Senate for former Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Shimon Peres, to launch an incredibly personal and tasteless attack.
“Greens councillors have previously supported the hateful Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
“The NSW Young Greens boycotted the peak representative group of Jewish students on campus, AUJS.
“They frequently launch unbalanced attacks on Israel that show no understanding or appreciation for the very real threats and dangers Israelis face every day.
“The list goes on. When will the Greens confront and address their anti-Semitism problem?”
Dr Soutphommasane said it was “simply unacceptable to deploy anti-Semitic images” such as the one on Mr Bandt’s Facebook page.
“Those who are elected representatives must know and do better,” he said.
Labor historian and Melbourne Jewish community member Nick Dyrenfurth earlier tweeted at Mr Bandt: “When you criticise Turnbull’s tax cuts for millionaires don’t use Der Stürmer-style imagery of a Jewish banker. Deleting it today isn’t good enough. You should apologise.”
Dr Dyrenfurth has since described Mr Bandt’s apology as a “Clayton’s apology”, saying the original post was “reprehensible”.
“While Mr Bandt is clearly not an anti-Semite, his posting was deeply offensive to Jews,” he said.
Dr Dyrenfurth said the image of the Jewish banker had only been slightly altered from the original Der Stürmer-style image.
“They merely shortened the nose, indicating they realised the connotations, something also evinced by the deletion of the post itself,” he said.
“In 2016, the Greens candidate for Melbourne Ports, Steph Hodgins-May, boycotted the Australian Jewish News’ election forum because one co-host was Zionism Victoria.
“Her boycott caused immense angst within one of the largest Jewish communities in Australia. “It is incumbent on Bandt to apologise for his actions and for Greens leader Richard Di Natale and the Greens candidate for Melbourne Ports, Hodgins-May, to show leadership on these issues.
“If Hodgins-May aspires to represent Melbourne Ports, a seat with a significant Jewish community, including myself, she must either condemn outright the use of anti-Semitic tropes and images or be considered complicit in it.”
Ms Hodgins-May said Mr Bandt had removed the image and apologised.
“The Greens have zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, as do I,” she said.
I will continue to stand up for the Jewish community in Melbourne Ports.”
Senator Di Natale’s office had not responded to a request for comment by deadline.
Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich said he took Mr Bandt at his word that he did not have any ill-intent in posting the cartoon and was heartened that he “quickly understood that some saw this image as an unfortunate choice to make a political point.”
“We consider the matter closed and hope that Mr Bandt and his party will use their platform to stand up and speak out against anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred.”
Earlier, Dr Abramovich said he had been contacted by people who were deeply distressed and offended by the post.
“In the minds of some, this image, showing a man with an exaggerated nose, linked with bags of money, evokes classic anti-Semitic themes and reinforces stereotypes about Jews as greedy and manipulative,” Dr Abramovich said.
“We should remember that similar caricatures were popularised in Germany during the Nazi era, especially in the virulently anti-Semitic magazine Der Sturmer.
“At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise and is being normalised, we all have special responsibility to avoid promoting, albeit inadvertently, anything which may come across as aiding age-old hateful views of Jews.
“We sincerely doubt Adam Bandt intentionally sought to engage in any hurtful conduct, and we are glad that he has taken down the post.”