Extreme left activist Jay Tharappel, who once wore a jacket bearing slogans that declared “Curse on the Jews” and “Death to Israel”, has been thrown out of the Labor Party after The Australian revealed that the former Sydney University academic was granted party membership this year.
Revealing the expulsion, NSW Labor leader Chris Minns said: “There is no place for anti-Semitism in NSW Labor and the party has taken swift action in dealing with this matter.”
It remains unclear why the party accepted the application of Mr Tharappel, an ardent supporter of both Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad and Iran’s despotic religious regime.
Official Labor Party policy strongly supports Israel’s right to exist and condemns Assad “who routinely bombs, chemically gasses and murders his own people”.
NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Darren Bark said: “We welcome the strong and swift action taken by NSW Labor in expelling this individual.
“Mr Tharappel’s views are repugnant, divisive and have no place in our peaceful, multicultural society. He did not deserve membership of the NSW Labor Party and removing him was the right decision.”
On Sunday Mr Tharappel declined a request for comment or to explain why he had sought membership of the party, responding: “Not interested.”
Read the article by Stephen Rice in The Australian.