Numerous anti-racist Jewish Australians have signed the following petition (over 600 as of 20 February 2017): “As Jewish Australians, we are opposed to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Australia, scheduled for mid-February this year.
The Netanyahu government has allowed and encouraged an unprecedented level of settlement growth in the West Bank, demolitions of Palestinian and Bedouin homes and villages, and the retroactive legalising of settlement outposts and expropriation of Palestinian land. He has instigated two major wars against the besieged population of Gaza, committing gross human rights violations in the process. We believe these policies and actions are grave barriers to peace and justice.
Mr Netanyahu has passed anti-democratic legislation and cracked down on dissent within Israel. He is currently under criminal investigations for corruption charges.
Moreover, Mr Netanyahu is coming to Australia following a visit to the United States at the invitation of Donald Trump. His support of Trump has ignored the blatantly islamophobic and antisemitic rhetoric invoked by Trump and his White House, which has seen an increase in antisemitic and racist activity in the U.S.
We believe that Netanyahu fosters a culture of fear, intolerance and racism that serves to increase division within Israel and our local communities, and is at odds with the Jewish values that we hold dear.
For these reasons we say no to Netanyahu” ( “Jewish Australians say no to Netanyahu”, February 2017: https://www.change.org/p/open-letter-jewish-australians-say-no-to-netanyahu ).