An outrageous video shows an employee of the Officeworks store in Elsternwick, a suburb of Melbourne, refusing to carry out a laminating job because she is “pro-Palestine.”
In a typical display of utter ignorance, she couldn’t even explain why being pro-Palestine meant that she couldn’t laminate the page, which was an article in the Australian Jewish News about a group of Australians who traveled to Israel to help victims of the October 7 Hamas assault. And of course, she definitely didn’t explain why her personal views prevented her from carrying out her job and treating her customers equally.
The incident occurred in March but is making headlines now after the Jewish customer, who said he suffered tremendous shock and embarrassment from the incident, decided to take legal action. The Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) shared the video on Thursday.
It should be noted that the customer’s decision to take legal action was only made after he wrote a letter to Officeworks demanding an apology and the termination of the worker’s employment. Their response was to offer him a $100 voucher and promise to “investigate the matter.”
“This incident has caused my family and me significant distress and has raised concerns about whether it is safe to visit our local stores and conduct our usual activities,” he said in a statement shared with the ADC.
ADC chairman Dr. Dvir Abramovich said: “Treating Jewish people differently because of who they are is discrimination plain and simple and Officeworks Elsternwick might as well have posted a sign in the store saying, ‘No service for Jews, Zionists or supporters of Israel.’ Imagine the public outrage if a member of the LGBTQI community, or an Indigenous Australian or a disabled person were turned away? It may begin with the Jews being turned away from a public business, but it will not end with the Jews, and red lines are now being crossed that I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.”
The customer, who chose to remain anonymous, told Sky News Australia that he felt vilified and discriminated by the incident. He added that he is even considering moving his family to Israel due to the increasing antisemitism in the country since October 7.
“I find myself telling my family: ‘It’s a matter of when we’re moving to Israel, but not if.'”
He is suing Officeworks under the Equal Opportunities Act for racial and religious vilification. [It should be noted that he was wearing a yarmulke during the incident.]
Australian Jewish News editor-in-chief Gareth Narunsky said he was shocked to hear about the incident, especially since AJN represents a broad range of Australian Jews with diverse opinions. “To deny a customer who simply wants to laminate an article from our publication reeks of ignorance and antisemitism.”
Although Officeworks’ managing director Sarah Hunter issued a statement saying that the team member’s views are not Officeworks’ views and “appropriate disciplinary action” was taken, the antisemitic employee has not been dismissed. The store also did not issue a public apology.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
10 Responses
I see the dumb Karen also had the gay pride rainbow colors on her neck chain.
So she/it can deny a Jew from services but a baker can’t refuse a homosexual who wants a pride cake for his husband. Oh, I get it.
Why doesn’t the paper then publish a fake ad from Officeworks stating Jews needn’t shop any longer at Officeworks as our new policy is that we stand with Palestine and we don’t service Jews. They surely will get the message then.
Although I think she was wrong she does have a point. Israel and Judaism are not the same….
i wonder why the customer didnt take the video with the employee’s face?
Yaapchik,
Because (sadly it’s rare in the Jewish media as well) there’s something called “Journalistic integrity” where you only print Jews known to be true. Once they print a “fake ad” how can you believe anything you read in their paper?
why didnt he call 911?
Time to blow up that store with that wicked savage employee inside.
This mode of recourse is more likely to be understood by the heinous company.
Australia was very pro lockdown during Covid (just like democrats)
Birds of a feather….
this is not antisemitism, i would also refuse that flag and those newspapers
Her refusal was obviously anti-Zionist, and not anti-Jewish, as she told him when he asked her that question of why she would deny service for laminating a Zionist article when she’s working in a Jewish neighborhood.
She happens to be right, of course, that Israel/Zionism is totally different than – and, in fact, is diametrically opposed to – Jews/Judaism.
If a Jew came in with a neo-Nazi article with a swastika, for example, then his question to her of how could you deny me this in a Jewish neighborhood would obviously be absurd, as his hate article is offensive, no matter who he is. Many gentiles (and amazingly not nearly enough Jews) – not to mention G-d and His Torah – find Zionism offensive, too.