Gaza

The Israel/Hamas conflict has been and continues to be devastating beyond belief.

Early on, I made the decision to refrain from public statements on the Hamas terrorist attack and the subsequent Israeli retaliation in Gaza because I believed anything I said would not help to reduce the conflict and instead could further break down our sometimes fragile social cohesion in Australia.  Instead, I focused on advocacy to the Foreign Miniter, regularly passing on the concerns of my constituents.

During the first sitting week of the 48th Parliament I spoke publicly on the situation in Gaza and stood with Medecins Sans Frontieres, supporting the presentation of its public petition to the Australian Government, to demand action to protect lives, stop weaponising aid and lift the siege in Gaza.

The immediate priority is to ensure starving children are being fed and the people of Gaza are not shot while desperately trying to seek food at distribution centres. 

It now seems pretty clear that starvation is being used as a tool of war and it’s got to stop.  The Israeli Government is ignoring international public opinion and international humanitarian law.

The frequently reported demonstrations within Israel by Israelis are a reminder of the complexity of the issues facing that nation and the differing approaches being debated in democratic Israel.  Friends of Israel have to hope that it can find solutions that will work for it and achieve peace.    

I have spoken and met with many constituents, advocates and concerned community groups and have passed on their messages to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, including our distress and anxiety over the continued blockage of aid into Gaza, the now mass acute malnutrition crisis facing the Palestinian people, and the lack of viable medical facilities or functioning hospitals.

As I have done since first addressing this conflict, I also call on the terrorist organisation, Hamas, to release all remaining hostages immediately. 

I believe that for peace to ever be achieved in this region, a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine must be pursued. To be successful, Palestinians and supporters in surrounding countries will need to recognise Israel’s right to exist and Israel will need to recognise the right of Palestinians to their own state.  These are challenging conditions precedent to success and can only be delivered by the parties involved. Without that, it is hard to see a resolution to the conflict.

Almost half of us in Australia were born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas.  Australians of all backgrounds should feel safe and free here without fear of racial slurs or vilification.  I condemn any antisemitic or Islamophobic language which fosters division in Australia.  

Australia is a culturally diverse, civil and tolerant nation. We must hold tightly to the democratic values that underpin our national identity and enable diverse communities to live peacefully together as Australians.

As a country, we must play our part in upholding international law. The Australian Government should be using all the diplomatic tools it has to uphold international law and address this humanitarian crisis in Gaza now.