Police Find ‘No Evidence’ of Anti-Semitic Chants During Sydney Opera House Protests

Palestine supporters rally outside the Sydney Opera House on October 09, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza by land, sea, and air, over the weekend, killing over 600 people and wounding more than 2000, agency reports said. Reports also said Israeli soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped by Hamas and taken into Gaza. The attack prompted a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ongoing retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza killing hundreds in the aftermath. Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

An investigation by Australian police has found no evidence that an “offensive antisemitic phrase” was used during a pro-Palestine rally at the Sydney Opera House on Oct. 9, 2023.

According to a widely circulated video of the event, pro-Palestine protesters shouted “gas the Jews” during the rally on Oct. 9. This event occurred two days after terrorist group Hamas launched an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping hostages, including women and children.

But independent forensic analysis of the footage has found “no evidence that this phrase was used,” New South Wales (NSW) police said on Feb. 2.

“As a result of that examination, the expert has concluded with overwhelming certainty that the phrase chanted during that protest as recorded on the audio and visual files was “Where’s the Jews?” Not another phrase as otherwise widely reported,” Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.

Instead, the analysis found the phrase chanted was “Where’s the Jews,” Mr. Lanyon said.

But the Deputy Commissioner said there was evidence that other “offensive phrases” were chanted during the protest, including “[expletive] the Jews.”

The independent expert reviewed “a large number of files,” Mr. Lanyon said.

“Police also obtained statements from several individuals who attended the protest indicating they heard the phrase; however, these statements have not attributed the phrase to any specific individual.

“Detectives from Strike Force Mealing continue to investigate the incident and have urged anyone with information, who may not have yet spoken with police, to contact Crime Stoppers.”

NSW barrister and former police officer Mahmud Hawila, who has acted for several pro-Palestine protest organisers, told the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) in November 2023 that he welcomed the review.

“I had serious doubts after watching a video circulating in the media as well as having reviewed a lot of other footage and spoken to witnesses who were at the Opera House,” Mr. Hawila said.

Minns Government Propose Changes to Crimes Act

On Nov. 21, 2023, the NSW Minns government proposed changes to Section 93Z of the NSW Crimes Act which would remove the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) from approving a prosecution before it was commenced by police.

This would “improve the prosecution process” for an offence of publicly threatening or inciting violence against a person or group based on race and religion.

The phrase “gas the Jews” would likely meet the threshold for criminal prosecution under the proposal.

Premier Chris Minns said the NSW government stood with the Jewish community after the protest.

Both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton also voiced their support for the Jewish community.

“Our country is better than that—and our country is a better place because of you and your community, and my government is committed to keeping the community safe,” Mr. Albanese said on Oct. 11.

“Hamas has a moral equivalence with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)—not with Israel, not with the Jews, and not with people of good faith,” Mr. Dutton said on Oct. 11.