New Israel Fund Australia Condemns Billboard in Melbourne Defaced with Pro-Hamas Graffiti on the Second Anniversary of October 7
07/10/2025 – Melbourne
“It is deeply disturbing that anyone in Australia would promote Hamas — a violent, extremist organisation responsible for the murder of over 1,200 people on October 7, 2023 — including 71 foreign nationals and more than 70 Palestinian and Bedouin Israeli citizens — and the abduction of 251 hostages from multiple nationalities. Glorifying terrorism does nothing to advance justice for Palestinians and only triggers pain and fear in the Jewish community and among all Australians who believe in peace and human dignity.
This billboard is a deliberate provocation, timed to coincide with a day of immense grief for Israelis and Jews around the world. It is an affront to our shared values of compassion, coexistence, and respect for human life.
During recent visits to Australia, our Palestinian partners — including Dr Shahd Bishara, an activist with Standing Together, the largest Jewish-Arab grassroots movement in Israel, and Samer Sinijlawi, a member of the Fatah shadow leadership — expressed dismay at the way the conflict is playing out here. In particular, they condemned the promotion of Hamas by individuals who mistakenly believe they are supporting the Palestinian cause. As Palestinians working toward a peaceful and democratic future, they were both shocked and alienated by such rhetoric.
The New Israel Fund believes it is not only possible, but essential, to support the rights and self-determination of Palestinians while also safeguarding the safety and human rights of Israelis. Supporting peace, justice, and equality for all people in the region means rejecting extremism — from any side.”
Media contact:
Kate Rosenberg (NIF): +61 419 505 354
About Us
New Israel Fund (NIF) Australia
NIF Australia was formed in 2011 when Naomi Chazan, then-president of NIF Israel and the former deputy speaker of the Knesset, visited Australia. In the more than ten years since its formation, NIF Australia has raised over $5 million, distributing grants to important civil society organisations in Israel, and facilitating new conversations about Israel inside the Australian Jewish community. Our community promotes freedom, equality and social justice by funding Israeli nonprofits and fostering new discussions in the Australian Jewish community.
