Israeli Official Condemns Grace Tame's 'Intifada' Chant as Outrageous
Israel's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sharren Haskel, has launched a scathing attack on former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, accusing her of emboldening violence through what she termed an 'absolutely outrageous' intifada chant. Haskel made these remarks during an interview with Sky News host Chris Kenny on Wednesday, following Tame's speech at a large Sydney protest on Monday.
Protest Speech Sparks Outrage
The protest, which drew thousands of participants, was organized in opposition to the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Tame concluded her address with the chant 'from Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the intifada,' a phrase that has ignited fierce controversy and calls for her to be stripped of her prestigious Australian of the Year award.
While 'intifada' translates from Arabic as a 'shaking off' of oppression, Haskel argued that in contemporary context, it specifically refers to two bloody Palestinian uprisings against Jews in the late 1980s and early 2000s. She emphasized that using such terminology in the current climate is dangerously provocative.
Violence Erupts at Sydney Protest
The protest following Tame's speech descended into violence when police intervened to prevent the crowd from marching near a Jewish event at the convention centre attended by President Herzog. This occurred against the backdrop of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warmly welcoming Herzog in Canberra on Tuesday, while simultaneously avoiding questions about whether he would publicly condemn Tame's chant.
Haskel expressed that it was 'heartbreaking' to witness the scenes in Sydney, particularly as Herzog's visit was intended to comfort and unify Jewish Australians still reeling from the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14.
Haskel's Strong Rebuttal
During the interview, Haskel challenged Tame to better understand the implications of her words. 'You know what it means to globalise the intifada? It means to bring and import the problems of the Middle East into Sydney and the result of that is the Bondi massacre,' she told Kenny.
She further questioned, 'And when she calls to globalise the intifada, which intifada does she mean?' suggesting the term could apply to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that killed 1,200 people, mainly civilians, and took 250 hostages. Haskel detailed the brutal consequences of those attacks, including sexual violence used as a tool of war, mutilation, rape, and torture.
Haskel emphasized that Australia's Jewish community remains 'broken to pieces' and trying to recover, making Tame's words terribly timed. 'They requested the President come listen to their hurt and during that time, (Tame) is standing up to call for violence... This is absolutely outrageous and every decent Australian should stand against that.'
Tame's Defense and Political Backlash
Despite Kenny noting that Tame had clarified her comments were not a rallying cry for violence, both agreed the chant was unacceptable and provocative. Tame defended her use of the phrase in a video posted on Wednesday, writing, 'This is not the first time I've been made a villain for speaking out... In the pursuit of justice, proportion, fairness, and truth, I refuse to be silent.'
At the protest, the crowd accused Herzog of 'incitement to genocide' and signing bombs used to kill innocent women and children, referencing UN Human Rights Council allegations that Israel denies. While Tame's speech received thunderous applause, it has prompted significant political backlash.
Calls for Consequences
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Queensland Premier David Crisafulli have both pledged to ban the 'intifada' phrase, with Minns condemning its use given the recent loss of 15 Jewish community members to a hate crime. 'I can only imagine what those families thought when they saw someone screaming it from the steps of Town Hall,' he said.
Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and Pauline Hanson have called for Tame's Australian of the Year award to be revoked, with Hanson stating the National Australia Day Council should act for bringing the award and nation into disrepute. The controversy highlights deepening divisions over Middle East conflicts spilling into Australian public discourse.
