Minister for the Arts Tony Burke appointed artist Abdul-Rahman Abdullah a member of the Council of the National Gallery of Australia. Abdullah has accused Israel of committing genocide and apartheid and have included images of people burning, purportedly as a result of Israeli missile strikes in Gaza, calling on Israel’s opponents to ‘end this sickness’ and ‘end Zionism.’
Abdul-Rahman Abdullah is a visual artist based in the Peel region of Western Australia
At that time Mr Burke said Mr Abdullah’s appointment would provide the NGA with ‘authentic leadership’; which reflected ‘modern Australia.’
“It’s essential that our important national cultural institutions have authentic leadership that reflects their objectives, as well as modern Australia,” Mr Burke said at the time. “The National Gallery is one of our premier cultural institutions and I’m pleased to see it continue in safe hands.”
In his temporary Instagram stories, Abdullah posted that “Israel is conducting a holocaust against the Palestinian people. End this sickness. End Zionism.”
Another post stated: “End the genocide, end apartheid, end Zionism.”
Another post depicts an Israel soldier holding a gun to the head of a Palestinian farmer in a field.
Meanwhile a story posted this week depicts a fire with the words “patients still connected to IVs were burned alive after Israel launched missiles at Al Aqsa Hospital in Gaza”.