Officeworks Employee Refuses Service to Jewish Customer

A disturbing incident at an Officeworks store in Elsternwick, Victoria, has drawn attention after a Jewish customer was denied service for requesting to laminate a page from the Australian Jewish News, which featured an Israeli flag. The employee, identifying as pro-Palestine, stated she was 'not comfortable' performing the task, leading to a confrontation that escalated to the involvement of police. Victorian MP David Southwick criticized the behavior as 'appalling,' while Jewish community leaders highlighted the incident as indicative of rising antisemitism in Australia. Officeworks has since apologized, stating the employee's actions did not align with company policy, and confirmed that appropriate disciplinary measures were taken. Ongoing training has been implemented to educate staff on discrimination laws and ensure respectful service to all customers. The affected customer has filed a complaint with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal over racial and religious vilification.