An American Jewish tourist who was allegedly verbally harassed and intimidated in Perth because of a Star of David sticker on her phone case shared her story in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, recounting a disputed incident in which a Palestinian man claimed that he had been insulted by the tourists first.
The incident occurred during a family picnic at Kings Park and Botanic Garden on December 18 when the London-born tourist’s companion photographed her using a phone adorned with a Star of David sticker, a symbol associated with Judaism and featured on the Israeli flag. When the tourist, who wished to remain identified only as Sophie, raised her phone to review the picture, two passing Australians in traditional Arab garb reportedly noticed and responded with hostility.
“The Magen David (Star of David) sticker on my phone was clearly visible,” recalled Sophie, who continued to share that the Australian man allegedly said “baby killers” when they noticed it.
Sophie’s companion reportedly said to her “Am Yisrael chai,” a phrase meaning “The nation of Israel lives.”
“That was in response to them calling us ‘baby killers,’” Sophie explained.
"Youse are gronks, child killers" Jewish couple in Perth have abuse shouted at them by Muslim man. pic.twitter.com/7pGofgZCEq
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) December 19, 2024
The Jerusalem-born Palestinian man, Sadee Sub Laban, said in a Friday Tik Tok video that he was the one that had been harassed because he was wearing cultural clothing. He alleged that Sophie’s companion had initiated the incident by saying to him “all glory to Israel.”
He contended that he had no reason to insult the Jewish couple when he didn’t know she was Jewish, and his companion had been recorded stating that she liked Sophie’s dress.
“If he’s allowed to yell that out at me, do I not have a right to defend myself?” said Sub Laban. “Because I’m a Palestinian born, bred, from Jerusalem, I’ve experienced what has gone on over there, that is something that is traumatic for me to hear.”
Sub Laban posted his own footage of the incident, ostensibly showing that the tourists initiated the confrontation. The footage showed that Sophie’s companion was staring at him as he passed, and showed that his mouth moved, but it was unclear if he was speaking to Sub Laban and if Sub Laban said something prior.
The footage has a jump or edited cut in the recording just before Sub Laban passed the tourists, and it is unclear if something was uttered during that missed moment. Sophie could be seen holding her phone to her ear, making it further unclear if the Australians had seen the sticker.
@sadee.sublaban @7NEWS Australia the actual truth. #australia #truth #palestine ♬ original sound - Sadee
“I said ‘Free Palestine,’” Sub Laban said in his video, the first audible recorded remarks in his video.
“Definitely not,” Sophie’s companion retorted.
According to Sophie, she and her companion responded by singing “The nation of Israel lives” because she felt that she had to give some response to alleged intimidating behavior. She felt that Jews in Australia were being targeted and intimidated, noting that only weeks prior there had been an Arson attack against the Melbourne Adass Israel Synagogue.
Sub Laban allegedly continued to call the Jewish tourists “baby killers” and shouting “Get out of Perth” from a distance.“Israel doesn’t exist,” the Sub Laban allegedly said, to which Sophie asked why Jews were called “children of Israel” in the Koran.
When Sub Laban approached the Jewish tourists, Sophie began to film the video that would go viral on social media.“You’re supporting your genocide. You’re gronks (fools), you’re a genocide, you’re a children killer,” the alleged harasser said in the video.
Escalation of incident
The confrontation escalated in intensity with Sub Laban entering their physical space, allegedly trying to knock the phone from Sophie’s hand, and telling her to “shut up” when she told him to “get away” from her companion. The tourists suggested in the video that Sub Laban probably spoke to the woman he was with in such a manner and that she was covered in a Niqab because the Australian probably beat her.
Sophie pulled her companion away, and they fled from the location before the situation escalated further. She said that she was concerned that the man would harm her companion because she was confident the Australian man “wanted a confrontation.”
“He was irked by our being Jewish,” said Sophie. “I was absolutely alarmed, I felt extremely threatened, particularly when they approached us.”
Both Western Australia Premier Roger Cook and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident on Friday, according to The West Australian, but Cook noted that insults were thrown in both directions.
Sophie criticized officials that equivocated between the two sides, comparing an affirmation of existence to offensive comments calling for her to leave Perth and calling her a “baby killer.”
“I’m bothered by the fact that he’s gone to newspapers claiming that we instigated by screaming something derogatory,” said Sophie.
Sub Laban said on TikTok that Australian media had maligned him by describing him as an “attacker” when it was him that was attacked. His video received hundreds of comments denouncing local media and showing support for the Sydney man.
Sophie noted that she had been contacted by hundreds of non-Jewish Australians, who sent her messages of support and shared that they were uncomfortable about the trajectory of the country.
“I think I would assess what countries I would not visit based on how seriously their governments take antisemitism,” Sophie recommended to tourists considering visiting Australia. “If the current prime minister continues to not take antisemitism seriously it would not be a country that I feel comfortable visiting.”