Is Freedom Of Religion Ending In Australia Due To Terrorism?

No Synagogue in Sydney Because of Threat of Terrorism

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz August 4, 2017 , 11:35 am

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“I met the watchmen Who patrol the town; They struck me, they bruised me. The guards of the walls Stripped me of my mantle.” (Song of Songs 5:7)

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At a judgment on Wednesday, the Land and Environment Court in Sydney blocked the construction of a new synagogue near Bondi Beach. The reason given: Jewish organizations are targets for terror, and they don’t want that in their town.

The ruling upholds a previous decision by the local Waverly Council. Land and Environment commissioner Graham Brown cited “potential risk” to the public.

“It would seem that a more sophisticated risk assessment process could be required for matters such as a potential terrorist threat,” Brown said at the judgment. “The proposed development should be refused as the site is not suitable for the proposed synagogue use as the Preliminary Threat and Risk Analysis relied on by the Applicant raises concerns as to the safety and security of future users of the Synagogue, nearby residents, motorists, and pedestrians”.

The ruling also stated that even if provisions were made to provide security, the proposed synagogue would still be unacceptable and the permit would not be granted.

“The proposed development should be refused as the site is not suitable for the proposed synagogue use as the Preliminary Threat and Risk Analysis relied on by the Applicant raises concerns as to the safety and security of future users of the Synagogue, nearby residents, motorists and pedestrians in Wellington Street and the physical measures proposed to deal with the identified threats will have an unacceptable impact on the streetscape and adjoining properties,” the council stated.

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The original application to the council was made by the Friends of Refugees of Eastern Europe (FREE), a Jewish organization run by Chabad, a Hasidic sect of Judaism.  As part of their application, FREE submitted a Preliminary Threat and Risk Analysis report prepared by a counter-terrorism consultant as part of their development application.

The Waverley Council spokeswoman said to the Australian Daily Telegraph, “The Land and Environment Court found that the potential risks outlined by the applicant’s own report were not addressed appropriately. In particular, the risks to neighbors and passers by were not sufficiently addressed.”

At the same time, the spokeswoman tried to distance the Waverly Council from the decision.

“Waverley Council wishes to reassure the community that Waverley Council did not refuse this development application,” she said. “It was a decision of the Land and Environment Court.”

 The head of the local Jewish community, Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, said the council and the court had effectively stifled freedom of religion and ­rewarded terrorism.

“The decision is unprecedented,” Rabbi Yehoram Ulman told news.com.au. “Its implications are enormous. It basically implies that no Jewish organization should be allowed to exist in residential areas. It stands to stifle Jewish existence and activity in Sydney and indeed, by creating a precedent, the whole of Australia, and by extension rewarding terrorism.”

New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Vic Alhadeff told news.com.au that the ruling set a disturbing precedent.

“It’s a very sad day for Australia if an established community, which needs a house of worship, is refused permission to build it because of fear that others may pose a threat,” he said.

“This simply shows how we’re all losing our freedoms. Those who want us to be afraid are winning, and this ill-conceived judgment represents a dangerous precedent.”

Australia has not suffered from Islamic terror attacks like the US or Europe, but there have been no less than five incidents in the last five years resulting in five deaths. More notable are the near-misses. On Saturday, Australian police carried out raids, arresting four men who were planning to use high explosives to bring down a commercial airliner. Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the plot was the 13th significant threat disrupted by police since Australia’s terrorist threat level was elevated in 2014.

Read more at https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/92682/australian-synagogue-blocked-fear-terror-attack/#OwBAcERc68YZbcXl.99