Public outrage has been ignited after a young Israeli woman seeking employment received a rejection note from a Melbourne business, which civil rights advocates have condemned as “repugnant.” The incident has led to protests outside the Australian plant nursery involved and compelled the business to issue a public apology for the alleged antisemitic comments made by its co-owner.

The 24-year-old Jewish woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, was turned down for a position at The Garden of Eden Nursery located in Albert Park, Melbourne. The Herald Sun reported on the incident, which occurred shortly after the woman had relocated to Australia.

According to reports, Brett Dahan, a co-owner of the nursery, allegedly sent a message to the woman stating that the job had been given to “someone with a semblance of humanity.” He further advised her to leave the country, saying, “Good luck on your journey and I hope you leave Melbourne soon! Free Palestine and end genocide NOW. You’re complicit in IT.”

The incident has drawn significant attention, both locally and internationally, as it touches on sensitive issues of discrimination and antisemitism. The backlash has been swift, with protests erupting outside the nursery, and the business has since been pressured to make a public apology to address the inflammatory remarks.

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.

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.

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.

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.