by Jewish News Channel
Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Victorian Parliament Bans Keffiyeh
The Victorian parliament has now banned politicians from wearing the keffiyeh on the chamber floor, deeming the chequered scarf a “political” item. The keffiyeh, traditionally black and white or red and white, is a symbol of Palestinian nationalism that has gained broader visibility since the October 7 attack on Israel.
On Wednesday, both the upper and lower houses of parliament concurred that the keffiyeh constitutes a political statement, thus falling under the general prohibition against political statements within parliament.
Last week, Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri, who had been wearing the keffiyeh in parliament for several months, was asked to remove it following a complaint from deputy opposition leader David Southwick, who is Jewish. Ms de Vietri refused and was subsequently asked to leave the chamber.
Mr Southwick expressed his objection, stating, “We have a member in this place, a member for Richmond, that is wearing a keffiyeh as a political statement in this chamber and I take offence to that. There is no place for those kinds of symbols.”
However, Mr Southwick was allowed to wear a yellow ribbon badge in parliament, a symbol used to express solidarity with Israeli hostages. He rejected any comparisons between the yellow ribbon and the keffiyeh. “[There is] no equivalence between the keffiyeh and the Yellow Ribbon pin.” Mr Southwick elaborated, “One was worn by Hamas terrorists who murdered 1,200 Jews and kidnapped 250 hostages, the other is a symbol of hope to have these hostages return to their families.”
Mr Southwick criticised the Greens for bringing the Middle East conflict into Victorian Parliament, accusing them of fostering division and fear towards the Jewish community, endorsing the ban as a necessary measure to prevent parliament from being used for divisive political purposes.
On Wednesday, the Greens passed a motion demanding the government disclose the details of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) Labor signed with Israel’s Defence Ministry within the next four weeks.
Jewish News Channel
At JNC we pride ourselves on delivering timely and accurate reporting on a wide range of topics, from politics and religion to culture and social issues, all through the lens of Jewish identity and values. Our dedicated team of journalists and correspondents is committed to bringing you the latest developments and insights that matter most to the Jewish community.
