The mayor of Sydney said Monday that she had canceled a controversial forum promoting the slogan “Globalize the intifada.”

The event, set to take place on Tuesday as the Royal Commission holds an inquiry into the country’s growing antisemitism problem, had drawn sharp condemnation from political and Jewish leaders. It was planned to take place as the state of New South Wales considers banning public use of the phrase.

On Monday evening, Mayor Clover Moore posted on social media that she had asked the city’s CEO to cancel the event out of concern that it would “contribute to hostility and fear.”

“I have long supported the principles of peaceful assembly, protest and freedom of speech,” she wrote on Facebook. “However, these rights must always be balanced with a responsibility to ensure public safety and respect for all members of our diverse community.”

Moore blamed local media owned by news magnate Rupert Murdoch for amplifying tensions over the event. News outlets have “exploited trauma, painting complex issues in black and white and, in bad faith, demanded our communities take sides,” she said. “I am extremely concerned that in this case, some outlets are driving a discourse of division that has heightened tensions more than any small community event could.”

The event was scheduled to be held in the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre, after it had been moved from a state council-owned community center in response to public backlash. NSW council members had previously rebuffed calls to cancel the event, saying they supported freedom of assembly, provided no laws are broken.

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore has decided to cancel an event supporting the phrase “Globalise the Intifada” that was set to take place on Tuesday, while sensationally blaming the media for........

© The Times of Israel