Is This Just the Beginning?

New Zealand and Australia, like the rest of the Western world, are fast spiralling into a dark whirlwind of anti-Semitic hate. Mainstream politicians chant slogans calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state in Auckland and are marching with mobs chanting “Gas the Jews!” in Sydney. As The BFD’s Chris Trotter recently wrote, “New Zealand is perilously close” to open incitements to violence against “the nearest synagogue”.

We cannot know exactly which member of the crowd will fling the Molotov cocktail, but if matters do not improve, we can be absolutely certain that someone will.

The BFD

Someone has.

A Jewish community centre in Auckland has been vandalised, with graffiti sprayed on the fence and apparent fires attempted.

The fence, which is at the back of Beth Shalom, the Auckland Congregation for Progressive Judaism, in Epsom was sprayed with the words Gaza, save the children, ceasefire and ‘fuk’ on Tuesday night.

Well, no one ever accused violent extremists of being the world’s brains trust. But, “fuk” what? What were they obviously interrupted in saying? “Fuk” Israel? The Jews?

Behind the fence is a building that until earlier this year was the home of Jewish youth group Habonim Dror Aotearoa New Zealand.

Stuff understands the site was targeted because on Google it is listed as the Consulate of Israel, which it no longer is.

Which makes it alright, does it?

It may not have been literally a Molotov cocktail, but the intent was the same.

Epsom electorate MP and ACT leader David Seymour said he was driving home when he came across the fire late on Tuesday night.

Petrol poured on the road had led to a fairly large fire, and neighbours alerted emergency services, he said.

Purely coincidentally, no doubt, this occurred on the same night that pro-Hamas activists defaced the Auckland War Memorial Museum with “Palestinian” colours — just weeks after the museum was bullied into removing lights in the colours of the Israeli flag.

New Zealand Jewish Council spokeswoman Juliet Moses said the attack is part of an “escalating pattern” of incidents towards Jewish and Israeli communities since Hamas attacked Israeli towns and kibbutzim on October 7 […]

“I can’t pin this one anyone in particular or on any event but this is part of an escalating pattern where we’ve seen other graffiti, death threats, businesses targeted, a lot of online abuse… It’s all part of that ratcheting up of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic manifestations.”

Stuff

How soon before the Auckland anti-Semites go full Kristallnacht, and start spraying Stars of David on Jewish homes and businesses, as is happening in France?

We’ve already seen Muslim community representatives spouting vile anti-Semitic conspiracies that Mossad was behind the Christchurch massacre. In Australia, Islamic preachers are openly inciting their followers to “kill Jews”.

The Muslim cleric who gave a “kill Jews” sermon in Sydney under the name Abu Ousayd has been unmasked as jihadi preacher Wissam Haddad, an extremist who has ­expressed support for terrorist groups including Islamic State and al-Qa’ida.

The increasing influence of militant figures like Haddad – who has boasted of his friendship with notorious terrorists Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar – is a troubling development for Australian security agencies who fear Israel’s war against Hamas provides a fertile recruiting ground for impressionable youth.

And yet, for years, police and security agencies have been gibbering that the “biggest threat” is the “far right”.

All while violent, extremist Islam festers right in our biggest city — and, purely coincidentally, the solid Labor heartland.

The cleric has been a central figure in preaching extremist ideology in Sydney for at least a decade, with his al-Risalah Islamic Centre frequented by numerous men who went on to become high-profile terrorists committing atrocities in Syria.

By using his alternative name and starting a new prayer centre, Haddad’s history as a radical preacher has been obscured, but his recent activities have not escaped the attention of Australia’s national security agencies. An analysis by The Australian of dozens of sermons uploaded by the Al Madina Dawah Centre reveals a history of inflammatory and violent comments, most fervently in addresses given since the October 7 attack by Hamas in Israel.

The preacher repeatedly quotes Islamic scripture which is virulently hateful toward Jews.

Even comedians are targets of this hatemonger’s violent incitement.

Haddad has previously prayed for violence against Australian comedian Isaac Butterfield, posting a video of the comic making jokes perceived to be ­insulting to Islam.

Tagging Butterfield’s Instagram account, he prayed that Allah would “disfigure” his face and “paralyse” the comedian’s tongue […]

The cleric avoided prison in 2015 after being caught with weapons, an Islamic State flag and a machete under his bed. He was given a good behaviour bond for possessing three prohibited weapons: two tasers and a can of (mace) spray after claiming he confiscated them from troubled young men at Al Risalah.

The Australian

Sure, he was just minding them for a friend.

Australia and New Zealand, like the rest of the Western world, are standing on the brink of making “Never again”, Now.