Office supply store manager refuses to laminate Jewish newspaper

The manager of a major office supply chain has been caught on camera refusing to laminate pages of a Jewish newspaper.

In un-dated video footage that has now gone viral, the man at the Elsternwick branch in Melbourne is seen asking why the unnamed female member of staff will not laminate pages of the Australian Jewish News, which features a picture of an Israeli and Australian flag side by side.

She says it’s because she is “pro-Palestine”, she has “the right to deny jobs” and she’s “not comfortable proceeding with it”.

When the customer states that she is working in a “Jewish community”, she adds: “Israel and Judaism can be completely separate” and she is separating “the culture and the religion.”

Alex Ryvchin, from the executive council of Australian Jewry posted his response on social media:

Former Australian Jewish News editor Zeddy Lawrence said: “The store in question is in the heart of the community and is always frequented by members of the community so this has come as quite a shock. One can only hope that in the months since this incident, the employee in question has learnt her lesson.”

Officeworks operates more than 170 stores across Australia. It has been approached for comment.