NSW government staffer behind Hitler slur
"We call on the Department of Education to take appropriate action and reaffirm their stance against antisemitism in light of the disgusting comments made on our Facebook post."
A FACEBOOK user who commented under a photo of Adolf Hitler “it’s such a shame he didn’t finish his job” works for the NSW Department of Education.
The comment was posted during the recent Israel-Hamas conflict and was in response to another user who posted the Hitler photo under an Australasian Union of Jewish Students (AUJS) event with the caption, “Is it okay for my friend to come along?”
The AJN understands the individual is contracted by the department and does not work within a school.
AUJS political affairs director Gabrielle Stricker-Phelps said, “We call on the Department of Education to take appropriate action and reaffirm their stance against antisemitism in light of the disgusting comments made on our Facebook post.”
A NSW Education spokesperson told The AJN the department’s professional and ethical standards investigations “are confidential and we cannot comment on the particulars of any case”.
“Our code of conduct outlines the expected behaviour of staff,” the spokesperson said.
“Any discrimination is unacceptable and, if proved, will be subject to the guidelines for the management of conduct and performance.”
The spokesperson added, “We reject racism in all its forms. The department believes in a positive and inclusive workplace that is safe and empowering for all its people.
“Diversity and inclusion are critical to the success and wellbeing of staff and students across the NSW public education sector.”
Meanwhile, Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich has slammed the passing of a motion by the University of Sydney (USYD) branch of the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) that is heavily skewed against Israel.
The motion passed last month accuses Israel of “murderous airstrikes on Gaza”, “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem” and “repeated assaults on worshippers in the Al-Aqsa” mosque, says it “maintains an apartheid regime against Palestinians” and endorses the anti-Israel boycott movement.
“This is a moral travesty, a farce that belongs in the theatre of the absurd, not in an academic association where facts should determine outcomes,” Abramovich said.
“The purpose of such harsh, bankrupt and fundamentally biased motions is to blacken the Jewish State’s reputation, not to foster understanding or promote the cause of peace.
“Such motions not only hand victory to those committed to destroying Israel but only add to the toxic anti-Israel environment, especially on university campuses, where Jewish students are often beleaguered, isolated, and attacked for their support for Israel.”
It follows a number of concerning incidents at USYD over the last few years, including academic Tim Anderson superimposing a swastika on an Israeli flag (for which he was fired), the student representative council passing a resolution opposing UK Labour’s suspension of Jeremy Corbyn and student newspaper Honi Soit glorifying suicide bomber Hamida al-Taher on its cover.
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