Australia police investigate bakery that made Hamas birthday cake for 4-year-old

Cupcakes made by the Sydney bakery to go with the main cake. Photo / X / drmaz3mar

Australian police are investigating a bakery in Sydney that made a cake featuring a Hamas leader and Palestinian flags for a 4-year-old’s birthday.

The cake, which featured an image of Abu Ubaida, a propagandist for the armed wing of Hamas, was made by a company called Oven Bakery by Fufu.

The bakery uploaded photos of its creation to social media but removed them in the face of a furious backlash, shutting down its Facebook and Instagram pages.

Everyone find a way to send some love to Oven Bakery by Fufu in Sydney for baking an Abu Obeida cake & cupcakes for this gorgeous boy who turned 4. They had to deactivate their socials because of outrage by zios/Chris Minns, who are pathetic. Happy Birthday little king ❤️👆🏼🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/tpvmWE9Uum

— 🥀ꨄ︎ᴀʀɪᴀ (@drmaz3mar) May 22, 2024

New South Wales premier Chris Minns called the images on the cakes “horrifying”.

He described Hamas as “an evil terrorist organisation” and said “kids’ parties should be innocent and fun, not hateful”.

Mark Speakman, leader of the state’s opposition, described the cakes as “truly shocking”.

“Instead of baked goods celebrating terrorists, we should be celebrating people in our community who are promoting a more cohesive society,” he said.

Abu Ubaida is a nom de guerre for the longtime propagandist and spokesman of Hamas’ military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, massacring about 1200 people and taking 240 hostages, he appeared in propaganda videos, his face concealed by a red keffiyeh scarf. Little is known about him but his real name is thought to be Hudhayfah Kahlot.

When the Israelis launched their attacks in Gaza, he threatened the execution of a captive each time a home in Gaza was bombed without warning.

Photos accompanying the cakes showed the birthday boy, named Omar, standing beside them with his finger raised.

The 4-year-old boy poses beside his birthday cake and cupcakes made by Oven Bakery by Fufu in Sydney. Photo / X / drmaz3mar

He was dressed in a red and white headscarf and a camouflaged jacket, just like the image of Abu Ubaida on the cake. The Hamas spokesman also appeared on a tray of cupcakes made for the birthday party.

“Dressing up a child as a terrorist, including with what appears to be a Hamas headband, is reprehensible and a form of child abuse,” said Robert Gregory, chief executive of the Australian Jewish Association.

“Islamic extremism and radicalisation of youth is not just a problem for the Jewish community. It’s a threat to all Australians.

“Australia has seen several recent incidents of Muslim youth allegedly stabbing or plotting to attack other Australians. Indoctrination starts at a young age and is similar to what is seen across the Middle East.”

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, also condemned the images on the cakes.

“It takes a rare kind of psychosis to want to teach infant children that Hamas terrorists are to be admired and emulated,” he said.

“Boys with normal parents will be celebrating with Batman or Real Madrid themes, which nurture an understanding of good versus evil, healthy role models and striving for excellence.

“If this is what is happening in some Sydney homes, we should prepare for a generation of violent extremists. The parents and the baker who thought it was acceptable to glorify proscribed terrorists should be ashamed. The authorities should be aware of this incident.”

The Australian Federal Police are investigating the bakery, in a sprawling, multicultural part of western Sydney.

The Telegraph has contacted the bakery for comment.