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The Victorian Liberal Party has shown solidarity with Never Again is Now in the lead-up to this Sunday’s event, with thousands expected to stand against antisemitism.

Never Again is Now, an organisation founded by Anglican minister Rev Mark Leach, is coming to Melbourne this Sunday, 19 May.

After successful rallies in Sydney (attended by over 10,000 people) and Adelaide, Never Again is Now will stand against antisemitism on the steps of the Victorian Parliament from 2:30 pm this Pentecost Sunday.

The Rise of Antisemitism and its Response

Since 7 October, there has been a dramatic 738% increase in antisemitic incidents in Australia. It is this anti-Jewish sentiment that Never Again is Now seeks to combat.

Jewish students are harassed and told they are not welcome on university campuses.

Chants of “from the river to the sea” ring out across campuses and city streets. A slogan that calls for – intended or not – the annihilation of the state of Israel along with all of its Jewish population.

The current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas states, “in a final resolution, we would not see the presence of a single Israeli – civilian or soldier – on our lands.”

Article seven of the Hamas Charter reads, “the Prophet, Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him, says: ‘The hour of judgment shall not come until the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them, so that the Jews hide behind trees and stones, and each tree and stone will say: “Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him”, except for the Gharqad tree, for it is the tree of the Jews.’”

In one local example, one man angrily threatens, on the steps of the Victorian Parliament, that 7 October events are coming for Australia.

Australian government fail pic.twitter.com/MkCEnnalfq

— Never Again Is Now Australia (@NeverAgainANZ) May 6, 2024

Correctly using the word “bloody” in the context of violence, the pro-Hamas supporter threatened Australians who are against the Hamas agenda.

“7 October is the bloody beginning of it. You are going to have plenty of 7^th Octobers coming. Plenty of it… You’ll see, you’ll see.”

In response, Never Again is Now is holding events “organised by a group of Christian people who believe we need to stand against that most ancient of racial hatreds, antisemitism – hatred of Jewish people.”

“We are committed to ensuring that no such evil finds a home in our beautiful country of Australia.”

“We know that the history and politics of the Middle East is complicated and contested. However, we firmly believe that there is never an excuse for antisemitism. We believe Australians must stand together in solidarity with our Jewish friends and neighbours.”

“We believe that decent, peace-loving Australians oppose antisemitism, and want a safe, inclusive, and cohesive society for all.”

Victorian Liberals Show Solidarity against Antisemitism

This week organiser Mark Leach has held various pre-Sunday events on the steps of the Victorian Parliament. Yesterday, one Victorian Labor politician and the entire Liberal caucus joined in solidarity against antisemitism in Australia.

As seen below, Liberal deputy leader David Southwick holds a sign reading, “Stop the hate before it’s too late”.

Other slogans included, “No tolerance for hate” and “Love thy neighbour, no exceptions!”

However, the response against antisemitism was not appreciated by all. Taking exception to the event’s messaging, one angry pro-Hamas supporter (the same person recorded in the X post above) shouted abuse at Mark Leach. His t-shirt reads, “From the river to the sea”.

This Sunday’s event is being organised closely “with [the] support of Jewish community organisations”, Never Again is Now said.

“We will sing. We will pray. We will push back the darkness and the hatred.”

“We are working closely with Victoria Police to ensure community safety on the day.”

Melbourne’s Never Again is Now event begins at 2:30 pm on Sunday, 19 May. Guest speakers include Victorian federal senators Sarah Henderson and James Paterson, the Hon David Southwick MP, Jasmine Yuen, Victorian director for the Australian Christian Lobby and Rabbi Moshe Kahn, President of the Rabbinical Council.

Currently, over 3000 have registered for the Melbourne event. The event is free and you can register here.