Across the country, our local mayors and councillors are being offered all-expenses-paid trips to a so-called “antisemitism summit” on the Gold Coast, run by a far-right, US-based lobby group called the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM).
This isn’t a genuine effort to fight antisemitism. It’s a political junket designed to push a one-sided, pro-Israel agenda and silence criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians by conflating it with antisemitism.
The summit’s organisers and speakers reveal its true nature. It features Jeff Schoep, the former head of a US neo-Nazi organisation, and is co-chaired by a man whose family trust donated $50,000 to the far-right lobby group Advance Australia.
Disgracefully, Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, Lorraine Finlay, will be attending this event, a decision we and many others have condemned.
Genuine efforts to tackle antisemitism must be grounded in universal human rights and solidarity against all forms of racism, not in attempts to shield Israel from accountability. It is unethical and inappropriate for our elected representatives to accept a free trip to attend an extremist political event.
We need to act now. We must demand our local councils refuse to participate. That’s why I’m asking for your help to email your local mayor and councillors today.
Here’s how you can take action in three simple steps:
- Copy and paste the template below and email the councillors attending this conference. Personalising the first line to say why you’re writing and if you’re a constituent is always a great idea. Feel free to look up your mayor’s email address and send it to them too, even if they’re not on this list.
- Visit CAM out of Council and use their campaign resources.
- Sign our statement of values. Show your support for our work fighting racism in all forms.
For more information, you can read our full statement calling for a boycott of the summit here and reporting on this summit here, here, here and here.
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Councillors confirmed attending
1. Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne
darcy.byrne@innerwest.nsw.gov.au
2. City of Port Phillip Councillor Libby Buckingham
libby.buckingham@portphillip.vic.gov.au
3. City of Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell roshena.campbell@melbourne.vic.gov.au
4. Glen Eira City Council Mayor Simone Zmood
5. City of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate
6. Waverley City Council Mayor Will Nemesh
will.nemesh@waverley.nsw.gov.au
7. City of Sydney Deputy Mayor Zann Maxwell
ZMaxwell@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
8. Armidale Regional Council Councillor Eli Imad –
9. Hunter’s Hill Council Councillor Carol Tannous-Sleiman
Email: CarolTannous-Sleiman@huntershill.nsw.gov.au
10. Willoughby City Council – Councillor Robert Samuel
Robert.Samuel@Willoughby.nsw.gov.au
11. Woolhara City Council Deputy Mayor Sarah Dixson
sarah.dixson@woollahra.nsw.gov.au
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Email Template:
Subject: Please boycott the Combat Antisemitism Movement summit
Dear [Mayor/Councillor’s Name],
[As a resident of Your Council Name if relevant], I am writing to urge you to boycott the upcoming ‘Australian Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism’ on the Gold Coast.
While fighting antisemitism is important, this event is not a good faith effort to do so. It is an all-expenses-paid junket organised by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), a far-right US lobby group known for attempting to silence criticism of the Israeli government.
The summit’s agenda and speaker list are deeply concerning, featuring a former US neo-Nazi leader and individuals linked to the extremist Advance Australia group.
My tax dollars and my trust should not be associated with an event that platforms extremists and weaponises antisemitism to serve a far-right pro-Israel political agenda. This summit undermines, rather than helps, the real and necessary fight against all forms of racism.
Please stand for the values of our community by publicly declining this invitation and refusing to attend.
Sincerely,
[Your Name] [Your Suburb/Postcode]