When an attempt by a member of the Jewish community to book a council venue for an event featuring One Nation Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts was rebuffed by the Council for operational reasons, Senator Roberts accused the Council of antisemitism, of all things, in a post on his Facebook page. Not only was this claim bizarre, what is even more worrying is that this post, and others on his page about the event and the Council decision, attracted many comments that were themselves blatantly antisemitic, and that the Senator was content to let most of these remain on his page, without even a comment.

Moreover these events in turn attracted further outbreaks of antisemitic behaviour on Facebook. The whole incident seems a further confirmation not only of the conspiratorial mindset that Senator Roberts has exhibited in the past, but of the problematic company the One Nation Party seems to attract – and not exactly go out of its way to discourage.

 

The Background

On November 16, Avi Yemini, a member of Melbourne’s Jewish community, announced that he was bringing One Nation Senators Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts to Melbourne to address the “Independent Jewish Council of Australia” an organisation he was establishing for politically conservative Jews, and that this event was to be at the Glen Eira Town Hall. The City of Glen Eira is the Melbourne municipality that includes Caulfield, Elsternwick and Bentleigh, and has the largest Jewish population of any Council in Australia. The Council contacted Yemini to inform him that, while he had made enquiries as to availability, he hadn’t actually booked the room, and that due to logistical reasons, the Council would not be able to accommodate his request.

Senator Roberts was not happy with this, and bizarrely, rather than taking the obvious approach and accusing the Council of acting politically (which the Council denies), put out a press release accusing the Council of “deep-seated and appalling antisemitic behaviour” and of cancelling the event once it “got wind of firstly our presence and then secondly, that it was a Jewish community meeting.”

The press release, posted on his Facebook page on 18 November, reads in full as follows:

PRESS RELEASE

Tragic case of anti-Semitic behaviour in Melbourne

Senator Malcolm Roberts has today blasted the City of Glen Eira in Melbourne for the deep-seated and appalling anti-Semitic behaviour over its arbitrary and bigoted cancellation of a peaceful gathering of the local Jewish community.

“Senator Pauline Hanson and I were to attend the meeting and listen to community concerns, but once Council got wind of firstly our presence and then secondly, that it was a Jewish community meeting, their sense of dignity and respect melted,”

“The City of Glen Eira’s behaviour is in clear breach of legislation, and our lawyers will be reviewing the case with a mind to take action against this grotesque and vulgar act,” Senator Roberts said.

None of the written explanations provided by Glen Eira are consistent with each other. Their verbal advice was that the hall was free, but only after the event was published did the weak and pathetic excuses for the hall’s use eventuate.

The council stated in a phone call to our office that there was “no way we would accommodate a meeting such as that”.

Council also refused to accommodate a change in the time of the meeting. After they made the statement that we were not welcome, they abruptly hung up on the call.

A number of kind and generous community offers have been made to locate the event to another venue, and my office will work with the organisers to ensure its success.

Our preliminary advice is that Mr Yemini has been targeted because he is Jewish.

Disappointingly, it appears that he did indeed get those allegations from Yemini, who subsequently told the local newspaper and the Australian Jewish News, “I do believe the council is discriminating based on the fact that I am Jewish with views that don’t suit their agenda,” and added for the Jewish News, “I see it more of an attack on our free speech as Jews and as Australians, which in itself is disgraceful.”

In fact, four of Glen Eira’s nine councillors are Jewish, and it regularly hires its venues to Jewish groups, so it seems very clear that the allegation of antisemitism was completely baseless.

 

Senator Roberts’ dubious past connections

Furthermore, Senator Roberts himself has been accused, with some justification, of being far less sensitive to actual antisemitism than he should have been (reports here and here). He has been accused of airing his theories on climate change on the antisemitic “Jew World Order” website, and, in reports he has written claiming climate change is a fraud and an international conspiracy, he has cited several antisemitic conspiracy theorists, including notorious Holocaust denier Eustace Mullins, among his primary references.

Commentator and television presenter Andrew Bolt was listed by the Galileo Movement, a group that seeks to prove climate change theories are untrue, as an adviser, and wrote to the group, which lists Senator Roberts as its Project Manager, asking that his name be removed from its site because comments by Senator Roberts that climate science is controlled by a tight-knit cabal of international bankers “sounds very much like one of those Jewish world conspiracy theories that I despise.” Bolt subsequently received an email from Senator Roberts which, Bolt wrote, also “smacks too much of the Jewish world conspiracy theorising I’ve always loathed.”

 

Antisemitism on Senator Roberts’ Facebook page

Ironically, given Senator Roberts’ own unfounded allegations, many comments on his own Facebook page responding to his press release, and on other posts on this issue, were themselves antisemitic. Some were removed after a period of time, but unless otherwise stated, those below were still all on the page at the time of writing.

For example, in a comment on the press release, someone calling themselves “Doctrina Perpetua” wrote, “Does not quite compute here. Are we misunderstanding something? Whom are you representing again, Malcolm? I thought that ‘the Chosen Ones’ have enough representation already through their Liberals, Labour, Greens, banks, including a very long list of their organisations & lobbies. Their rejects have only you – or do we?” This comment was removed after a number of days.

RJ Ellyn made a comment about One Nation’s true colours and followed up by clarifying, “yes Jewish colours. Defending a group of Zionists is antithesis to Australian interests. Stephen, the real cult that NEVER assimilates is the Judaic one. Yet, it holds the whole western world under its spell of antisemitism! And now you’re all going to get upset and whine at me, yet never ascertain for yourself that the opinions One Nation ascribes to is also contradictory to defending Zionism and yet, when they do you all get on board?”

In response to a further comment, RJ Ellyn replied, “And yet you’ll note, I never once defended Islam. But pointed out rather that the defense of Jewish groups in Australia that are openly Zionist is against Australian interests. Just like masses of Islamic refugees are, just like China buying up all our viable farmland is… Yes Kenneth, I guess I am a fool.”

Matthew Franc showed broader racism, writing, “Aussies are white Europeans”, and attaching a smiley emoticon wearing sunglasses. Apparently he’s a “cool” racist.

‪Someone calling themselves Chloe Forsyth posted, “The event was shut down by a coalition of Nationalist groups and the Alt-Right. ‪Avi Yemini is Middle Eastern parasite and an international terrorist who should be deported. ‪Why should a non-White non-Australian be dictating Australian culture? ‪Queenslanders didn’t put One Nation into parliament so they could pander to Middle Eastern interest groups.”

This was followed by Anthony Williams writing, “I launched the assault, I shut it down myself. I’m an Australian nationalist and Queenslanders did not put One Nation into parliament so they could pander to Middle Eastern interest groups. Why should Australians embrace Avi Yemini, a non-White non-Australian immigrant dictating our culture or One Nation’s narrative?” The post by Williams was removed reasonably quickly. (While it should not matter, Yemini was in fact born in Melbourne.)

Chloe Tarot wrote, “Malcolm Robers the venue was not cancelled because Avi Yemini and his Jewish friends were going to attend the meeting. The venue was cancelled because you were going to attend the meeting. So you can’t call it ant-Jewish but you could call it anti-Goy. Any Australian who speaks about stopping mass 3rd world immigration must be shut down. Well that’s how they see it.”

Scott Rousell advised Senator Roberts to “take a look over on the Australian Jewish news page comments about your press release. You’ll see that even after you see that even after you showed full support against the racism towards them, they attack you and the party calling you racist band unwelcome. Ironic and hypocritical and shows that pandering to a foreign interest is a waste of time.” It’s telling that he sees the Jewish community as a “foreign interest”.

Chloe Tarot followed up with, “Andrew Bolt tried to pander to the Jewish establishment but he found out the hard way that anything that goes contrary to the International Jewish agenda gets shot down. ‪I hope one nation stops licking the hand that Wacks it.”

Doctrina Perpetua followed up with, “I thought that ‘the Chosen Ones’ have enough representation already through their Liberals, Labour, Greens, banks, including a very long list of their organisations & lobbies. Their rejects have only you – or do we? You know, they do not just hate us – they hate us so much they want us gone. All the economic genocide that is not acknowledged or talked about actually hurts.”

Attached to this comment was a photo of a speech supposedly given by a “Rabbi Emmanuel Rabinovich” to a special meeting of the Emergency Council of European Rabbis in Budapest in 1952. The speech, and the rabbi, were actually fabrications by the US antisemite and Holocaust denier Eustace Mullins, ironically the man who Senator Roberts had cited as support for his climate change conspiracy theories about the banks. It set out a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world by instigating a third world war, and took credit for instigating World War II through propaganda. Quotes from the supposed speech include that every Jew will be “a king” and “every Gentile a slave”; “I can state with assurance that the last generation of white children is now being born;” having wiped out white people by preventing them from “mating with whites…Our superior intelligence will easily enable us to retain mastery over a world of dark peoples;” “There will be no more religions;” and “We may have to repeat the grim days of World War II, when we were forced to let the Hitlerite bandits sacrifice some of our people, in order that we may have adequate documentation and witnesses to legally justify our trial and execution of the leaders of America and Russia as war criminals, after we have dictated the peace.”

This comment was removed the day after it was posted.

Prior to Roberts’ own release, Yemini had put out a statement attacking the Council’s alleged treatment of his event. Roberts had also posted that statement on his own Facebook page, and that, too, drew questionable comments.

Anthony Williams wrote, “Independent Jewish Council of Australia is Zionist interest group. Avi Yemini is Middle Eastern parasite and an international terrorist who should be deported. ‪Why should a non-White non-Australian be dictating Australian culture?”

Elsewhere, in a post eerily similar to that of “Chloe Forsyth” cited above, Anthony Williams wrote, “The event was shut down by a coalition of Nationalist groups and the Alt-Right. ‪Avi Yemini is Middle Eastern parasite and an international terrorist who should be deported. ‪Why should a non-White non-Australian be dictating Australian culture? ‪Queenslanders didn’t put One Nation into parliament so they could pander to Middle Eastern interest groups.” He wrote the same in two other places under the post.

Initially, these comments were allowed by Senator Roberts to remain on his page, without comment, even though he responded to other comments further down the chain. Four days after they were posted, however, they were removed.

Meanwhile, Brett Wilson opined, “ISIS Videos are generally a production brought to you by Western Intelligence Agencies is more likely than not.”

Michael Wayne Bowles added, “It amazes me that in this day and age there whites who still vote ‘Labor’.”

Initially, Roberts had posted that he and Senator Hanson were proud to have been invited to address the Jewish community, and that also attracted a barrage of antisemitic comment.

Chloe Tarot added, “One nation is being subverted by Jews before it even takes off. So sad. Malcolm is a wonderful man but will he name the Jews who introduced Multiculturalism to Australia. Let’s see.”

This led to a chain of replies, with Scott Rousell moaning, “This is the death of one nation. Jewish supremacists will dictate the parties narrative from here on in.”

Susan Daniels responded with a comment that included, “The Bible says those who bless Israel will be blessed,” which led to Chloe Tarot coming back with, “Well all I can say about Christian Zionism was well presented by Dr David Duke. The next video will be about Hasbara trolls.” She attached a YouTube video from Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke titled “The Insanity of Christian Zionism”, setting out Duke’s views that any Christian who supports Jews is crazy, as Jews want to destroy Christianity.

Scott Rousell certainly enjoyed the video, commenting, “Very true. Great video by Dr Duke. Susan Daniels may need to read the Talmud to see the immense hatred preached by Rabiis to the Jewish people. No other book contains absolute supremacist teachings.”

Chloe Tarot followed up with, “Yes but her comment was a cut and past comment from the Hasbara troll web site so I’ll try to find a video that explains how the Hasbara trolls operate,” to which Scott Rousell chimed in, “Yeah true her comment read very strange indeed. She’s a propagandist and a spreader of miss information. ‪One nation out to be very careful now. We will see if they have the balls not to be sold out to a foreign parasitic enemy similar to the thousands of goys in our history who turned into traitors!”

This obviously concerned Senator Roberts enough to respond, although not to remove the antisemitism from his page, or even respond to it. He merely wrote an excuse –  “Listening to all community groups is the most important part of our role.”

Scott Rousell responded, “Thank you for your response malcolm. It’s great to have an insight into what makes you’re (our) party tick. I guess its great to keep in mind that NO single quote ‘community group’ Jewish or other should have respectively any more power than another. ‪Therefore I don’t need to remind you of the current demographics you currently represent right.”

Meanwhile, Chloe Tarot was not yet done, commenting, “Here is the best article that spells it out in fine detail and includes Andrew Bolt and 18c.” The article she attached was called, “The Jewish War on White Australia Continues,” taken from an online publication called the Occidental Observer, whose motto is “White Identity, Interests and Culture”. The article claims to set out how “Jewish intellectual movements and ethno-political activism were pivotal in ending the White Australia policy — a policy change opposed by the vast majority of the Australian population.” The writer, Brenton Sanderson, states, “The history of multiculturalism in Australia (and indeed throughout the West) is in large part an object lesson in how a small but highly organised and motivated group of activists can successfully hijack the demographic destiny of a nation for its own ends.” Most of the article is devoted to explaining how section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act is part of this conspiracy.

Scott Rousell then progressed into Holocaust denial, commenting, “This guy needs to know that Jews are the most protected species non earth. People are put in jail just for saying that 6 trabazillion Jews weren’t killed in the Holocaust.”

Unsurprisingly, Chloe Tarot was immediately supportive, commenting, “I get what you are saying. Canada Germany and France lock up anyone with a different view on history even if they can prove it. ‘Truth is no defense’. Imagine if you were jailed for doubting the official death toll of Hiroshima. Not that anyone even knows how many people died there nor do any Australians know how many Australians died in WW2. Funny how that only death toll that anyone knows just happens to be the magic mark of the beast number promoted on the media 24/7?”

Appreciating her support, Scott Rousell added, “There’s one protected species in the world. The same people who advocate wars world wide and financial utopia for everyone else whist they rake in literally trillions.”

Of course, Doctrina Perpetua couldn’t be left out of this hate-fest, and so commented, “They hate us so much they want us gone. I just do not know why. What did we ever do to them? Is it really such a sick case of self love that there is no space for anyone else?” and then added the same speech fabricated by Eustace Mullins mentioned above.

For good measure, Doctrina Perpetua added, “They hate and want to abolish white race,” and added as proof of this, one article by and one article about Noel Ignatiev, an American Jewish Marxist academic who wrote that the “white race” should be “abolished”, by which he meant the privileges attacked to white people. He used inflammatory language to push his fringe point, but of course it’s a classic form of racism to attribute to all members the actions or views of one.

On November 28, Senator Roberts posted an article in the Spectator blog, by a Jewish author, setting out the case for Jewish community engagement with One Nation. Underneath the post, Roberts posted a comment reading, in part,

“I hope that my involvement in this event can shake away the nasty smears that have been directed at me by my opponents. As I have stated many times, I have many dear friends who are Jewish including the founders of the Galileo Movement who would not have let me near their organisation if they thought I was anti-Semitic.

Pauline Hanson and Australian Jewry » The Spectator Australia http://ow.ly/l6On306z5PL

Any comments that attempt to smear the Jewish people will be removed from my page.”

Despite the avowed intent to remove comments that smear the Jewish people, the comments listed above remained on the page, and below the latest comment, Harry Rennicks commented, “Australia is NOT “Judeo-Christian” though, just Christian.

Australia is Christian (only) contrary to the lie and swindle it’s not!…” This was followed by a long screed setting out why Australia is, in Harry Rennick’s opinion, a solely Christian country, concluding, “According to our law, all our legislation and its administration is to be interpreted in accordance with the Ten Commandments and the Bible. This excludes non-Christians from political input. Clearly, those who now have most influence in this country are people with no love for Jesus Christ, or the Holy Bible.”

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Australia First weighs in – in its own bizarre way

One comment on Roberts’ post linked to a post from the Australia First Party harshly critical of the decision by Senators Hanson and Roberts to address the Jewish community. The post stated the disallowance of the event by Glen Eira Council was “no doubt under pressure from Melbourne leftists, who falsely perceive Hanson as touting nationalism in this country.” Apparently One Nation is not “nationalist” enough for them.

The post concluded with Australia First’s own bizarre conspiracy theory, and a truly deluded take on international affairs. It read:

“Nationalists were keen to see the meeting go ahead. This was to be final proof that Pauline Hanson was to cross the River Jordan as a fully-fledged Zionist, destroying her position on Moslem immigration. It is impossible to be a supporter of Zionism and condemn Moslem immigration when support for Zionism translates to backing Israel and its allies in illegal military actions. These illegal actions are what results in the flood of Moslems into western countries adding to the dissolution of sovereign states under a globalist program.

The coalition of the Israel, US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, has in recent years decimated Syria as participants attempt to overthrow Syria’s democratically-elected leader, Bashar al-Assad for purely mercenary reasons. As with Saddam Hussein, and Muammar Gaddafi, who were toppled and assassinated even after years of supporting this cabal, they have placed al-Assad in their crosshairs.
This, however, has not been the cakewalk it was with the others. Syria has always traditionally proven a tough nub for the Zionists. It was their inability to impose their will on al-Assad’s father, the late Hafez al-Assad that led the US and Israel to instead target Libya, and Iraq. Since Russian President Vladimir Putin came to the defence of the Syrian President, the stated goal of the Zionists to combat “ISIS” and prevent its spread has proven to be a falsehood.

Indeed, leaked emails from Wikileaks reveal the complicity of the US and Israel and supplying the terrorists in a bid to overthrow al-Assad. This action pitted the west against Russia in a revival of the cold war that threatened to escalate drastically if Hillary Clinton had won the recent US election. Yemini has vowed that the Zionist meeting with the mining industry advocate Roberts and his ventriloquist’s dummy Pauline Hanson will go ahead on December 4. We shall monitor for updates.”

It’s interesting that the post describes Bashar al-Assad as “democratically elected”. Apparently Australia First is prepared to defend Arabs as long as they’re perceived as enemies of the Jews and the West, and, no doubt, as long as they don’t want to come here.

 

In an interesting footnote, the name and emblem of Yemini’s group were co-opted by a virulently antisemitic Facebook page. Calling itself Independent Jewish Council of Australia, and featuring a photo of Yemini with state MPs, the page contained viciously antisemitic articles and graphics (including a couple of those described above appearing on Senator Roberts’ page) mixed with attacks on anti-Muslim activists who, misguidedly, see Israel as an ally in their movement, to the extent that some have carried Israeli flags. There were posts on the page going back to August, so it appeared the page was already in existence, and was altered to match the recent events. This may well have been done by someone who was aggrieved by the support Yemini was receiving on his Facebook page from those active in anti-Muslim racism. The page was apparently removed from Facebook on November 26 or 27.

This whole saga is a cautionary tale of the potential consequences of members of the Jewish community thinking they can make common cause with the far right just because they may – misguidedly – share their concerns about Muslim immigration. Yemini has now announced that his event is going ahead at a private venue, so this lesson looks likely to be reinforced.