Organized by the Zionist Federation of Australia, Jewish communities in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - Australia's three largest cities - gathered in masses alongside state politicians from both sides of the political spectrum.
“The Australian Jewish community with support from representatives of the Government and Opposition came together today," Zionist Federation of Australia President Jeremy Leibler said. “We came from the left and right, from religious and secular backgrounds – to declare one simple message: Israel has a right to live in peace and a right to defend itself when attacked.”
“The people of Israel and, indeed, the members of the Australian Jewish community desire peace between Israel and its neighbors," said Leibler. "We welcome the recently announced ceasefire and call on the international community to ensure that Hamas is not able to rebuild its capacity to attack Israel.”
The time and location of the rallies were kept under wraps until Sunday morning, for fear protesters would be attacked by anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian counter-demonstrators.
“It is a sad indictment that in 2021 we have seen a dramatic increase in antisemitism - blatant hatred of Jews and equally as sinister, antisemitism hidden under the guise of anti-Zionism," Leibler added. "From London to New York to here in Australia, it is completely unacceptable that the Jewish community’s ability to express support for Israel and call for peace is a security risk requiring significant protection from police and private security.”