In the media

Media release, 29 May 2024

Today I abstained from voting on a motion in the House of Representatives calling for the recognition of the State of Palestine because I do not believe motions like this meaningfully assist either the people of Gaza or Israel, or support social cohesion in Australia at the time when it is most needed.

Many of us, including across my community, are deeply distressed by what we continue to see play out during this conflict.

I represent a diverse and vibrant community – one where one in three families speak a language other than English at home and where people of all backgrounds, including different cultural and faith backgrounds, have lived and worked together for many years.

I’m incredibly concerned about the isolation, distress and fear many in my community are experiencing.

The rise of racism, Antisemitism and Islamophobia is completely unacceptable and requires us all to intervene whenever and wherever we witness it.

Since the terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7th our social cohesion has been severely tested. I have seen this fracturing across my community, and motions like the one moved today have the potential to oversimplify a deeply complex situation.

Rather, I will continue to advocate that, as a nation we:

• Continue to condemn the Hamas attacks of October 7th as acts of terror.
• Do all we can to facilitate the release of all hostages and support humanitarian organisations that have the capacity to undertake welfare checks on the hostages (including the International Red Cross) to have immediate and unconditional access to them.
• Expand our calls from a humanitarian ceasefire to call for an immediate and enduring ceasefire.
• Do all we can to ensure the unimpeded provision of humanitarian aid into Gaza
• Ensure we are not supplying weaponry, or any component parts, to any party in this conflict, nor supplying financial resources to any company involved in the creation or supply of weaponry in this conflict.
• Continue to support the international governance bodies whose existence we have long advocated for, and whose rulings we have agreed to uphold, including the United Nations (UN), the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• Call on Israel to respect the ICJ’s ruling to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, ensure unimpeded access to aid and the protection of civilian lives.
• Call for Hamas to cease using innocent civilians as human shields.
• Continue to advocate for a longer term two-state solution as the best way for Israelis and Palestinians to live peacefully within internationally recognised borders.
• Stand with the international community in ensuring Hamas plays no role in the governing of any future Palestinian state.
• Stand by our decision to back the recent UN General Assembly resolution giving the Palestinian leadership more rights and responsibilities within the UN context.
• Recognise that the UN General Assembly resolution creates the space for the recognition of a Palestinian State in due course.
• Apply appropriate sanctions on all parties that have been found by the ICC to be guilty of either acts of terrorism or war crimes.
• Do all we can to help protect and advocate for every innocent life.

International Human Rights Law is something our nation has played an integral role in creating and supporting and I believe we must continue with that commitment.