His comments came as hundreds of protesters headed into the CBD on Sunday to attend the weekly protest in support of the Palestinian people, while other religious groups planned a gathering to condemn the attack at Parliament House later in the day.
In his social media post, Mashni also expressed frustration that he had been buffeted with media requests to condemn the synagogue attack.
“I’m being asked by reporters to condemn the attack on the East Melbourne Synagogue. Let’s be clear, there’s not a holy site untouched in Gaza in 21 months. Nothing. Where is your reporting on that? Where are your demands for condemnation of Zionists for this genocide?”
Mashni’s comments came as a group tied to the Miznon incident sought to explain the rationale for the confrontation in a social media post.
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The Whistlerblowers, Activists and Community Alliance said they posted a message on Instagram about the protest on behalf of “community members” who staged the Miznon action.
“Miznon restaurant on Hardware Lane in Naarm was chosen as a site for direct action by pro-Palestinian activists on Friday night because the owner, Israeli Shahar Segal, is the official spokesperson for GHF [Gaza Humanitarian Foundation],” WACA announced in its social media post.
“While politicians in so-called Australia clutch their pearls over one meal that was interrupted, we ask people to refocus their attention on Israel’s genocidal reign of terror over the Palestinians.”
WACA spokesperson Gaye Demanuele said it was “disingenuous” for politicians, police and others to “conflate” the Miznon action with the arson attack at the East Melbourne synagogue and the defence company in Greensborough.
“The fire at the synagogue we are not connected with and we would condemn. We are not about harming people. A bit of yelling is nothing compared to potentially putting people’s lives at risk by burning a synagogue. That’s horrific.”
Demanuele said WACA did not instigate any violence.
“At no point were we anti-Jewish. The restaurant was not targeted because it has Jewish owners. It was targeted because it is repping for the Gaza Humanitarian Fund. There’s nothing humanitarian about the GHF – it’s an outfit that’s set up to lure people into killing fields.”
A source in the pro-Palestine movement, who asked to speak anonymously, said the protesters were “dickheads that think they are righteous and have the right to impact innocent bystanders”.
“It ruins public opinion – they do it in Palestine’s name and not one Palestinian was there.”
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