Melbourne’s Stonnington Council has been referred to the anti-Semitism royal commission after it deferred a decision to host a Hannukah Menorah at the town hall.
The council’s move at the December 1 council meeting to delay the decision to install a Menorah at the Malvern Town Hall has been referred for investigation for “anti-Semitism” motivation.
The deferral was supported by councillors Jami Klisaris and Steve Stefanopoulos, alongside Melina Sehr, Samantha Choudhury. They were slammed with jeers of “shame” from the local Jewish community, while councillor Humphries characterised the move as “nothing short of anti-Semitic.”
The aftermath of the decision saw Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission Dr Dvir Abramovich describe the deferral as “a slap in the face to the Jewish community,” while council was labelled the “Hannukah Grinch by Caulfield MP David Southwick.
Following strong community pressure, Stonnington Council approved the installation of a Menorah on the Stonnington City Centre balcony on Glenferrie Road, opposite the Town Hall. Mayor Cr Melina Sehr described the revised location as a “safer and more suitable” option.
Earlier, police had requested that the Hannukah Festival be held inside Malvern Hall due to security concerns, a request the council complied with following the Bondi massacre.
Resident Josh Fast, who submitted the request, said it was “staggering” that council would defer the decision when celebrations were already recognised for other religious and cultural observances, including Christmas, Eid, Chinese New Year and Greek Easter.
Councillor Stefanopoulos defended the deferral, saying it allowed councillors to be “briefed on the matter by council staff,” and called “hateful” messages he and colleagues received “distressing” and “unwarranted.”
Mayor Sehr also defended her casting vote, stating, “My decision to defer was not political, not personal and certainly not discriminatory. It was simply the lawful, responsible and correct action required under the Victorian Local Government Act.”
Fast has called on the royal commission to investigate councillors’ correspondence during the deferral, “to assist in forming a view as to whether the conduct was motivated by legitimate procedural concerns or by animus toward the Jewish community.”
Council is reviewing the location for the 2026 Hanukkah Menorah, with a site yet to be decided.
Source: Herald Sun
