Arab groups say they will boycott involvement with the NSW Community Relations Commission unless its chairman, Vic Alhadeff, is expelled for controversial comments over the deadly conflict between Israel and Gaza.
Communities Minister Victor Dominello on Wednesday dismissed calls for Mr Alhadeff, who is also chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, to be removed from the role, saying “we all bring different perspectives to international issues”.
Mr Alhadeff has refused to resign from the commission, saying “there is too much important work to be done”. But critics say unless Premier Mike Baird intervenes, they have “no choice but to walk away” from the organisation, which promotes racial harmony.
Mr Alhadeff’s respected predecessor on the commission, Stepan Kerkyasharian, said it was a “fundamental prerequisite” that the chairman/woman has the full confidence of community leaders across racial lines.
The furore was sparked last week when Mr Alhadeff, in an email to the Jewish community, accused Palestinians of war crimes against Israel during fighting around Gaza, but appeared to ignore Israel’s contribution to the bloodshed. Mr Baird described the comments as “inappropriate”.
About 200 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, which has deepened tensions between Arab and Jewish communities in Australia, many of whom have relatives in the region.
Members of the Arab Council Australia and other groups met Mr Dominello on Wednesday and demanded he call for the resignation of Mr Alhadeff, who was appointed by the government in December to the part-time $35,000-a-year role.
The push was endorsed by 36 organisations spanning the Arab and Muslim communities, as well as Jewish groups opposed to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. It is also supported by 22 university academics and community leaders.
In a letter to Mr Dominello, the group said it had “serious concern for the future of multiculturalism in NSW” if Mr Alhadeff remained in the role, adding “we do not believe he is capable of exercising sound judgement on community relations”.
Mr Dominello rejected the calls. He refused an interview with Fairfax Media but said in a statement that “we must not overlook Mr Alhadeff’s substantial achievements in promoting inter-faith understanding across our multicultural communities”.
The Arab Council Australia said it was disappointed by the decision, saying Mr Alhadeff’s comments last week “cannot be undone” and the government “gives us no choice but to walk away from the very institution that is supposed to prevent these rifts”.
Mr Alhadeff said his “commitment to the promotion of multiculturalism and to fighting racism and intolerance is on the public record ... I will continue to focus on working to build a better multicultural NSW and to advancing social inclusion”.
Mr Kerkyasharian, who was chairman of the Community Relations Commission for 25 years, said he did not belong to any community organisations during his tenure except a brief position with an Armenian church.
“To be an effective head of the CRC requires the incumbent to maintain the confidence of community groups,” he said, adding the chairman/woman would sometimes be called on to advocate a position they did not necessarily agree with.
The commission’s chief executive, Hakan Harman, said he “absolutely” supported Mr Alhadeff and rejected suggestions his appointment had become untenable.