Grace Tame Criticizes Governments, Calls for Boycott of Murdoch Media

Grace Tame, the 31-year-old former Australian of the Year, has strongly criticized governments for their handling of the conflict in Gaza, accusing them of "weaponizing antisemitism" to "distract and divide" Australians. Speaking at a "Global Day for Gaza" rally in Sydney's Hyde Park on Sunday, Tame addressed an estimated crowd of 5,000.

Her remarks came during her first public appearance in support of the Palestinian cause since she issued an apology for comments perceived as downplaying reports of rapes carried out by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. The rally marked three years since Israel's military operations began in the Palestinian enclave, following the October 7 attacks that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths. According to Palestinian health officials, since then, over 74,000 people have been killed and 175,000 wounded in Israeli bombardments.

"There is nothing really I can add to this conversation because we all know the truth - we know of Israel's violent establishment in 1948, of the brutal occupation, of the racialised policies, of the settler violence, of our own governments complicity in all of these atrocities," Tame stated at the protest. "We know about the cynical weaponisation of antisemitism which is just another tool to distract and divide us."

Tame emphasized that the issue was not about religion or hatred, but about halting violence. She encouraged protesters to "use their power with every dollar they spend" and explicitly urged them to "Don't buy the Daily Telegraph, don't buy any Murdoch rag."

Robert Gregory, president of the Australian Jewish Association, described Tame's comments as "deeply offensive" to Jewish Australians who have experienced a rise in antisemitism. He asserted that "Antisemitism is not a political weapon or a distraction. It is a very real threat to Jewish Australians, who have faced intimidation, harassment and violence." Gregory added, "What is cynical is attempting to discredit those who speak out against it simply because their experiences are politically inconvenient. Grace Tame should be standing with victims of antisemitism, not dismissing their concerns."

This protest follows recent controversy where Tame apologized after appearing to dismiss reports of sexual violence by Hamas as "propaganda" and claimed the allegations had been "debunked." She stated her comments were misinterpreted by the media. In February, she faced criticism for leading a chant of "globalise the intifada" at another Sydney rally, which led to her being dropped from an anti-rape campaign and calls for her to be stripped of her Australian of the Year title.

Defending her use of the phrase at the time, Tame wrote, "This is not the first time I've been made a villain for speaking out. It is however the first time I've been cast in a worse light than a criminal state. In the pursuit of justice, proportion, fairness, and truth, I refuse to be silent."