SBS World News Radio: Sydney mayor accused of anti-Semitism after comments about Israel's occupation of the West Bank.
The Mayor of Mosman declined an invitation to a Jewish community event, but denies allegations he was boycotting the event over his stance on Israel.
Peter Abelson is the mayor of Mosman, on Sydney's northern beaches.
He says he was just too busy to make to an event at Sydney's Great Synagogue next month.
But part of the letter he's sent declining the invitation has landed him in trouble.
Mr Abelson expressed his deep personal concern for what he calls the gross and illegal occupation by Israel of the West Bank.
He says this creates endless terrorism around the world.
Four days later, he received a reply.
Not from the synagogue that invited him, but from Vic Alhadeff, the C-E-O of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies- a leading Jewish community group.
Mr Alhadeff wrote that he's appalled at Mr Abelson.
Although he says Mr Abelson's opinions on Israel's actions in and of themselves aren't the reason for it.
"We have no difficulty with his criticism of those policies. The issue is: why is wading into foreign policy, and why is he holding Australian Jews responsible for actions of the state of Israel?"
Mr Abelson says he was shocked to get the letter from Mr Alhadeff.
He claims his uncle was killed by the Nazis for being Jewish- and denies charges of anti-semitism.
"I was absolutely astonished. The whole concept was just ridiculous. Many people hold very strong views about, in this case the occupation of the West Bank. Many people who are indeed Jewish do so, and I am myself half-Jewish. To infer from a view about occupation that someone is anti-Jewish...it's just ridiculous."
But the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies says holding Jewish people accountable for the actions of the state of Israel is, by definiton, anti-semitic.
Mr Alhadeff also says the mayor is not doing his job properly if he boycotts the event.
"Clearly the mayor has a duty to his Jewish constutients. He has a duty to represent his Jewish cosntutents. By boycotting the Australian Jewish community, by boycotting an Jewish community event, he is shunning his own Jewish consituents."
However, Mr Abelson says that the kind of reaction he's been subject to his action is very problematic.
"This kind of extraordinarily thin-skinned response, where someone makes a comment about policies, to interpret that into a racist position is actually extraordinarily dangerous."
The event in question to synagogue service to mark the beginning of the legal year, with some of New South Wales' top lawyers, and politicians, on the guest list.
Mr Abelson says he's received several vitriolic e-mails about his position.
But both he and Mr Alhadeff have told SBS they would happily meet to resolve their differences.
However, Mr Abelson says he still won't be able to attend the event at the synagogue.
