Public anger surged when a young Israeli woman seeking employment received a rejection message deemed “repugnant” by civil rights advocates. This incident led to a demonstration outside an Australian garden nursery and compelled the business to issue an apology for what was perceived as antisemitic comments from its co-owner.
According to a report by the Herald Sun on Saturday, the 24-year-old Jewish job applicant, who chose to remain anonymous, received the offensive rejection after applying to The Garden of Eden Nursery located in Melbourne’s Albert Park.
Brett Dahan allegedly responded to her application by stating the role was given to “someone with a semblance of humanity” and suggested she should exit the country—mere weeks after her arrival in Australia.
The message read: “Unfortunately, the position has been filled by someone with a semblance of humanity and who cares for plants, animals, and the environment. Good luck on your journey and I hope you leave Melbourne soon! Free Palestine and end genocide NOW. You’re complicit in IT.”
The Garden of Eden Nursery in Melbourne, Australia. (Google Maps)
Hoping for a warm reception in her new city, the woman expressed her “shock and deep disappointment” at the hostility conveyed in the response, as reported by the Herald Sun.
“I came to Australia believing it was a fair and welcoming country but reading those words – so full of hostility – was heartbreaking,” she said. “I was judged, not as a person, but as an Israeli.”
In a phone call with the Herald Sun, Dahan said he “did not know” why he had sent the message. The local outlet added that he repeatedly failed to answer any follow-up questions.
The Melbourne skyline in Australia. (Chris Putnam/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
The incident has sparked widespread backlash from the Jewish community, with protesters gathering outside the nursery, news.com.au reported.
According to Australia’s Equal Opportunity Act, discriminating against a job applicant based on their nationality is illegal.
In a statement shared by the company on Sunday, the nursery, run by twin brothers Brett and Scott Dahan, later issued a statement apologizing to the Jewish community and expressing regret over the message sent “by a staff member.”
“The Garden of Eden Nursery would like to express its regret and extend its sincere apologies to the community in regards to the recent message sent to a member of the public by a staff member,” the company said, adding that the matter is being addressed internally.
Aerial view of Melbourne, Australia. (iStock)
“We are deeply upset and disappointed by the content of the message, which in no way reflects the values, standards, or spirit of our business or team,” the company continued.
The country’s Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dr. Dvir Abramovich criticized the apology Sunday and said true accountability would be to close the business.
“Mr. Dahan’s repugnant text wasn’t a slip. It was a deliberate, written act meant to humiliate and degrade,” Abramovich said in a statement on social media. “Apologizing ‘to the community,’ blaming ‘a staff member,’ and saying it will be handled ‘internally’ is not accountability.”
Abramovich emphasized that the woman deserves a direct and personal apology from Dahan.
The Garden of Eden Nursery did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
