Israeli flag plan sparks outrage, protest by residents

Residents will gather outside a Randwick City Council meeting to protest a decision to fly the Israeli flag, which has sparked outrage from some. 

Earlier this year, the Randwick council voted in favour of flying the flag from the city's Town Hall on April 26, to celebrate Israel's 75th anniversary of declaring independence.

A group of residents and others from across Sydney will attend Tuesday night's meeting to urge the council to overturn the decision. 

Some say considering ongoing allegations of human rights abuses by Israel against Palestinians, flying the flag would be an affront to Australia's values of equality and pluralism.

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network said at the request of residents including Palestinians, Jews, Christians and human rights advocates, it will support the protest.

Palestinian Maroubra resident Professor Yahya Shehabi said he was horrified at the decision by Randwick City Council to raise the Israeli flag.

"Implicitly or explicitly, it would communicate that the Council condones the actions of the most right-wing Government in Israel's history," Prof Shehabi said. 

"I have many Jewish friends, and colleagues in medicine, we share lots of values about life and humanity, but Israel doesn't share those values."

Jewish Maroubra resident Michelle Berkon shared concerns over Israel's actions and said the flag does not represent her, or her contribution to the local community.

"I am the descendant of Holocaust survivors whose lived Jewishness embodied the polar opposite of Israel's brutality towards the Palestinians," she said.

"The idea that its flag should fly in my community is deeply distressing."

The motion voted on by council to fly the flag also included writing to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and other prominent Jewish leaders acknowledging the contribution made by the Jewish community to Randwick City.

In addition, it included flying the Harmony Day flag on March 21 to celebrate multicultural Australia.

The motion was passed 10-4, with one of those against being deputy mayor and Greens councillor Rafaela Pandolfini.

Fellow Greens councillors Kym Chapple, Michael Olive and Philipa Veitch also voted against the motion.

At the same February meeting, the council also voted in favour of flying the Greek flag on March 25 to celebrate 202 years of Greek independence.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker and the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies have been contacted for comment.