Australian judge rejects IHRA antisemitism definition, rules ‘F*** Israel’ graffiti not antisemitic
Australian man, Mohommed Farhat, carried out a series of vandalism offenses in November 2024, including spray-painting slogans such as “PKK,” “PKK coming” and “F*** Israel” on vehicles and buildings.
An Australian judge has dismissed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism and declared that "Fuk Israel" graffiti is not antisemitic. In the case of State of New South Wales v Farhat, NSW Supreme Court Justice Desmond Fagan ruled on the vandalism offenses committed by Mohamed Farhat in November 2024.
Farhat spray-painted slogans like "PKK" and "PKK coming," "Fuk Israel," and set fire to a vehicle in Sydney suburb Woollahra. He pleaded guilty and received a 20-month prison sentence. The NSW government sought an extended supervision order (ESO) after his sentence, but Justice Fagan rejected the application. He stated that "Fuk Israel" was a "crude expression of political hostility to the State of Israel" and was not antisemitic according to the ordinary understanding of the concept in the Australian community.
Fagan emphasized that criticizing Israel does not equate to antisemitism, as not all Jewish people are the same as the State of Israel, and many Jewish individuals criticize Israel. The ruling sparked outrage from mainstream Australian Jewish groups, with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry criticizing the judge's decision.
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