Sydney cancels controversial forum promoting ‘Globalize the intifada’ slogan

The mayor of Sydney, Australia, has canceled a controversial forum promoting the slogan “Globalize the Intifada,” citing concerns that it could inflame tensions and threaten public safety.

The event was titled, “Why it is right to say Globalise the Intifida,” and intended to defend the phrase against efforts to ban it.

The phrase has become a flashpoint in public debate, with Jewish groups and others viewing it as a call to antisemitic violence because the first and second intifadas were violent Palestinian uprisings that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Defenders of the slogan say it is a legitimate expression of political speech, and accuse critics of suppressing pro-Palestinian advocacy.

The event, scheduled for tomorrow at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre, had drawn strong criticism from politicians and Jewish leaders. It was set to coincide with a national Royal Commission hearing about rising incidents of antisemitism across Australia months after the deadly terror shooting targeting a Hanukkah celebration at the city’s Bondi Beach in December, which killed 15.

In a statement on social media, Mayor Clover Moore says the forum risked “contributing to hostility and fear.” She blamed local media, specifically outlets owned by publishing magnate Rupert Murdoch, for amplifying tensions over the event.

The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies welcomes the decision, saying the event would have endangered public safety and harmed social cohesion.

“We are pleased that this toxic event will no longer take place at a council venue and reiterate our calls for this phrase to be proscribed as swiftly as possible,” it writes on social media.

After the Bondi Beach attack, Australian lawmakers proposed tougher laws against hate speech, including a proposed ban on the “Globalize the intifada” slogan in NSW.