Landmark Australian buildings light up in solidarity for Israel

October 9, 2023

Karen Sweaney

Across Australia, landmark buildings have tonight been illuminated in blue and white to show solidarity with Israel after Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the largest attack on the Middle Eastern nation in decades over the weekend.

Federal Parliament in Canberra along with the Sydney Opera House, South Australia's Parliament and Adelaide Oval, Brisbane's Story Bridge, Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria and Old Treasury Building showed their support for Israel which has vowed a total blockade of Gaza following the attack.

The decision by NSW Premier Chris Minns to light the Sydney Opera House sails in the colours of the Israeli flag resulted in several hundred people gathering at Sydney’s Town Hall today before marching to the Opera House in a pro-Palestinian rally - protesting against the lighting.

NSW Premier Chris Minns had announced on Sunday that the sails would be lit "in solidarity with the Jewish Communities across NSW".

According to the ABC, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier called for the march in Sydney to be abandoned noting "I absolutely believe [the march] should not [go ahead]. I think people need to really take a step back.”

However, those involved in the march were not deterred and flares and fireworks were lit in the crowd and thrown onto the forecourt steps of the Sydney Opera House, where rows of police officers were monitoring the situation.

NSW Police said there were no arrests over the setting off of flares at the Opera House and no-one was injured.

Premier Minns defended the police handling of the event and the decision to light up the opera house and told Channel 7 "I would just say that the position of the government and the vast majority of people of NSW could not have been more clear: they have been shocked and appalled at the indiscriminate killing in Israel over the last 24, 48 hours and have been terrified that so many people have been kidnapped and taken into Gaza.

"That is why we lit up the Opera House, to show support for the big Jewish community that we have in NSW, many of whom who have relatives and friends in Israel."

As reported widely in media, thousands of young people were partying at dawn at the Supernova music festival held in the Negev desert in southern Israel when Hamas fighters opened fire.

For weeks, music-lovers had looked forward to the festival, which began at around 10pm on Friday, just hours after the end of Israel’s week-long Sukkot religious festival.

Billed as the 'first time' the Brazilian psy-trance festival Universo Paralello was held in Israel, thousands of festival goers descended on the desert outside of Kibbutz Re'im for the Supernova event. The music festival was described as 'a journey of unity and love' with 'mindblowing and breathtaking content'.

The festival site - with three stages, a camping area and bar and food area was not far from the Gaza Strip, from where Hamas fighters crossed over at dawn to launch their attack.

More than 260 bodies have reportedly been recovered from the festival site, according to rescue agency Zaka.

Hamas militants also infiltrated towns and villages in southern Israel, taking dozens of people hostage in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would describe as a "dark day" for his country and an Israeli military official deemed "our 9/11."

Israel has retaliated by carrying out intense air strikes on the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the Islamist group, and sealing it off from food, fuel, and other supplies.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to "change the Middle East" in Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, as the army pounded the Gaza Strip with air strikes adding "what Hamas will experience will be difficult and terrible.”

Image. Sails of Sydney Opera House. Credit: Dr Ralph King Australian Ambassador to Israel Twitter @AusAmbIsrael

About the author

Karen Sweaney

Co-founder and Editor, Australasian Leisure Management

Artist, geoscientist and specialist writer on the leisure industry, Karen Sweaney is Editor and co-founder of Australasian Leisure Management.

Based in Sydney, Australia, her specific areas of interest include the arts, entertainment, the environment, fitness, tourism and wellness.

She has degrees in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney and Geological Oceanography from UNSW.

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