An advocacy group for Australia's Jewish community has lodged human rights complaints against two Islamic preachers over speeches allegedly labelling Jews as "monsters" and "criminals".
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry on Monday said it had taken the action against two Sydney-based individuals and organisations over the speeches, which were made in 2023.
The council said the speeches, which were recorded and uploaded online, made derogatory generalisations about Jews including calling them "monsters", "criminals", "bloodthirsty" and raised on "terrorism, violence and killing".
The speeches also labelled Jews a "vile" and "treacherous" people, claiming their hands were "everywhere in businesses (and) in the media", the group said.
The complaints were made to the Australian Human Rights Commission under the Racial Discrimination Act, which outlaws offensive behaviour based on racial hatred.
The council has called for the speeches to be removed from the internet, as well as a public apology and a commitment that no similar conduct would happen in the future.
"We are taking this action not only to defend the honour of our community but also to protect the future of Australia as a peaceful and socially cohesive society," council co-chief executive Peter Wertheim, a complainant, said in a statement.
The Jewish group in January warned of potential legal action on claims of anti-Semitism after authorities dropped criminal inquiries into a series of controversial sermons, which they said had not breached state or federal laws.
Tensions have been high in Sydney's Jewish and Palestinian communities in the wake of the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, considered a terrorist group by the Australian government.
Subsequent Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 32,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials.
The individuals and groups that allegedly created and posted the speeches have been contacted for comment.
