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Public outrage erupted after a young Israeli jobseeker received a rejection message that civil rights activists condemned as “repugnant,” sparking a protest outside an Australian plant nursery and prompting the business to publicly apologize for its co-owner’s alleged antisemitic remarks.
A 24-year-old Jewish woman, who wished to remain anonymous, received the rejection text after applying for a job at The Garden of Eden Nursery in Albert Park in Melbourne, the Herald Sun reported on Saturday.
Brett Dahan allegedly told the woman that the position had been filled by “someone with a semblance of humanity” and that she should leave the country — just weeks after she had moved to Australia.
“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 text read.
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The Garden of Eden Nursery in Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia. (Google Maps)
Having expected a warm welcome after her move, the woman said she was “shocked and deeply disappointed” by the hostility of the response, the Herald Sun reported.
“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.
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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.
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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.
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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.