By Michael Gencher | Times of Israel
I was there on Sunday morning, September 7, at Bondi Beach. I organised the counter gathering as Executive Director of StandWithUs Australia. I saw families, students, and seniors arrive with Israeli and Australian flags. I saw neighbours from across Sydney join because they felt that a line had been crossed again. What should have been remembered as a life affirming moment for a community under relentless pressure was instead reduced by parts of the media to a few seconds of a scuffle. That is not only unfair, but also dangerous. It misses why emotions are running so high and where this will head if governments continue to offer words instead of action.
A pro-Palestinian group chose Bondi Beach, the heart of Sydney’s Jewish community, for a symbolic paddle out. That choice was deliberate, not neutral. The event drew a crowd and a counter presence of pro-Israel supporters and community members who came to stand peacefully against harassment in their own backyard. Police managed tensions for most of the morning. Footage later showed a brief scuffle near the Pavilion. Police reported no arrests or injuries and dispersed the crowds around midday. Those seconds became the headline while the reality of a calm, resolute community gathering was ignored.
