Australian Jewish leaders have called for the sacking of a Sydney train worker after a pro-Palestinian song played over carriage speakers as the Hamas-Israel conflict escalated.
Commuters were shocked to hear the train worker’s messages of support for the pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, as some passengers headed to the City Hall event on Saturday.
The Sydney rally was one of several held across the country condemning Israel’s strong response to Hamas terror attacks.
‘We love you all. Here’s a song for you, you hear the engineer say over the train’s PA system.
The train driver then played Dammi Falastini, a song by Arab Idol winner Mohammed Assaf about his affection for Palestine.
The lyrics read: ‘Following my oath, following my religion / You will find me on my land. I belong to my people, I sacrifice my soul for them/ My blood is Palestinian.”
A group of women heading to a pro-Palestine demonstration in Sydney on Saturday got a big surprise on the train
Several commuters posted images of the incident on social media.
“When the train driver Dammi Falastini starts playing on the train entering the city for the protest in Sydney,” one video read.
Another video showed a group of women rocking in their seats to the music, giving them a thumbs up and clapping.
“The engineer made our day,” they said.
Leaders of Australia’s Jewish community have condemned the train worker, including Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich, whose police inspector cousin was recently killed in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv.
“This hijacking and arming of a public train to promote Palestinian propaganda is shameful and absolutely unacceptable,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
“Imagine the pain and fear that a Jewish person or an Israeli-Australian, who may have lost family to the atrocities of Hamas, would have felt upon hearing this music.
“It is no wonder that the Jewish community feels tense and under siege, given the open expressions of hatred spreading like wildfire across the country.
“Sydney Trains and the NSW Government must take disciplinary action against this driver and reassure all passengers that it is safe to use their trains.”
The Australian Jewish Association also expressed its disappointment.
“If a train worker in Sydney is confirmed to be engaging in political advocacy for the taxpayer’s dollar, they should be fired,” said Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association.
‘After the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust, some have turned to celebrating and calling for more violence.
“Every major pro-Palestinian demonstration in Sydney, including last weekend, has involved incitement to violence and anti-Semitism.
“Public transport in Sydney is for everyone, not for political activism, and we call on the NSW Government to take immediate action.”
There was a big smile when Dammi Falastini, a hit by Palestinian pop star Mohammed Assaf, started blaring through the carriage
More than 6,000 people gathered in Sydney’s Hyde Park to demand an end to ‘Israeli apartheid’ and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Event organizers, calling on Australia to cut ties with Israel, asked attendees not to wear face coverings unless for medical or religious reasons to prevent troublemakers from infiltrating the protest, as happened on Monday.
They said they wanted to make it clear that the protest was “absolutely against anti-Semitism” and that preventing racism is “exactly what we are fighting for.”
Despite this, police charged a protester after he was filmed repeatedly shouting “Allahu Akbar… Make sure the damn Jews are wiped out” until police intervened.
The protester was among pro-Palestine supporters who defied NSW Premier Chris Minn’s call not to attend the rally in central Sydney, while protests in Melbourne intensified as flares were set off and one stained with blood drenched baby doll was held above the crowd.
Earlier this month, Hamas terrorists killed about 1,200 Israeli civilians in what was described as the darkest day for Jews since the Holocaust during World War II.
In response, the Israel Defense Force launched a barrage of rocket attacks into Gaza, killing more than 2,500 Palestinians.
Meanwhile, in London, a tube rider who recently sang the chant “free, free Palestine” on a London subway was suspended by authorities.
The incident happened on Saturday when about 100,000 protesters took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration.
The footage posted showed the chant being piped over the train’s speaker system by the subway driver.
Several commuters shared footage after a Sydney train driver played a Palestinian song over the loudspeaker
The Central Line service driver said “free, free”, to which passengers responded with “Palestine” – a popular chant at protests – leading to pressure to fire the driver.
“A driver has now been identified and suspended while we continue to fully investigate the incident in accordance with our policies and procedures,” said Glynn Barton, Chief Operating Officer of Transport for London.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters marched through the streets of Sydney on Saturday
Sydney Trains has been contacted for comment.
