Sydney councils grapple with response to Middle East conflict

Sydney councils are in turmoil over the Israel-Hamas war,with local councillors facing criticism over attitudes towards the October 7 terrorist attacks and the flying of Israeli and Palestinian flags.

Labor and Liberal councillors in Waverley voted last week to dump newly elected Greens deputy mayor Ludovico Fabiano for not supporting a motion about the Hamas attacks in Israel.

Canterbury Bankstown councillor Karl Saleh won support from the council in south-western Sydney to fly the Palestinian flag at Paul Keating Park in Bankstown and a council building.

Canterbury Bankstown councillor Karl Saleh won support from the council in south-western Sydney to fly the Palestinian flag at Paul Keating Park in Bankstown and a council building.Wolter Peeters

At a fiery council meeting,Fabiano said the conflict in Israel and Gaza should not be used by politicians on the other side of the planet to extract political mileage.

He told the meeting he condemned the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians:“I have also categorically condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli military.”

But Liberal councillor Leon Goltsman told the meeting those were weasel words. “You are not the victim. It’s not about you,” he told the meeting. “Shame on those people that don’t stand up to terrorism. If you don’t stand up against them then you’re with them as far as I’m concerned.”

Neighbouring Woollahra Council has also been divided in its response to the Israel-Hamas war,with three councillors – Greens Nicola Grieve and Matthew Robertson and independent Harriet Price – criticised for not voting on a motion condemning the attack on Israel by Hamas.

Councils are also divided over whether to fly the flag of Israel or Palestine on council buildings.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore blocked a proposal to fly the Israeli flag at Sydney Town Hall.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore blocked a proposal to fly the Israeli flag at Sydney Town Hall.Flavio Brancaleone;Janie Barrett

Senior Labor minister Tony Burke has been condemned for supporting a decision by the City of Canterbury Bankstown in south-western Sydney to fly the Palestinian flag,whileSydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore blockeda proposal to fly the Israeli flag at Sydney Town Hall.

“Consistent with the objective of maintaining social harmony,the City should not display any partisan symbols associated with the current conflict,” Moore said in a mayoral minute.

Randwick Council backflipped on its decision to fly the Palestinian flag “given the current conflict” with Israel and Hamas,but Canterbury-Bankstown councillorsvoted to fly the Palestinian flag at Paul Keating Park in Bankstown and a council building in Campsie.

Councillor Karl Saleh said he called for the council to display the Palestinian flag as a mark of respect for the local Palestinian community and “also show solidarity towards over 6000 innocent civilians killed in Gaza”.

The Canterbury-Bankstown council has unanimously voted to fly the Palestinian flag until a ceasefire is declared in Gaza.

“Some councillors,along with many of our own local Palestinian community members also have extended family members who have been killed in the recent atrocities currently being carried out in Gaza,” he said.

This month’s attack on Israel is not the first time Sydney councils have been embroiled in Middle East tensions – the former Marrickville Council was strongly criticised by business and political leaders in 2011 over itsboycott of Israeli products and services.

Local councils have also waded into geopolitical issues such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,withWoollahra Council proposing to change the name of the road where the Russian consulateis situated from Fullerton Street to Ukraine Street.

Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig said in a statement it was up to councils and democratically elected officials to make decisions for their communities.

“But councils should remember their first responsibility is to their ratepayers and residents in efficiently delivering core services like maintaining parks and roads,rubbish collection,planning,health and recreation facilities to their community,” he said.

A survey published this year found 69 per cent of people felt that political parties should play a greater role in local government and that 83 per cent of thought local government should be a place where national issues can be debated.

The Changing Role of Local Government in Australia:National Survey Findingschallenges the traditional notion that local councils should focus only on the three R’s – roads,rates and rubbish – said co-author Australian Catholic University associate professor of politics Mark Chou.

“Australians are happy to see their local government offer a wider range of services and tackle a broader range of social and political issues – often because state and federal governments won’t,” he said.

More coverage of the Hamas-Israel conflict

Andrew Taylor is a Senior Reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

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