House debates

Wednesday, 2 June 2021

Motions

Middle East

10:30 am

Photo of Chris HayesChris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

by leave—at the request of the member for Calwell, I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) recent violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories has resulted in the deaths of at least 222 Palestinians in Gaza, including 63 children, and 12 Israelis, including two children;

(b) a ceasefire was declared on 20 May 2021; and

(c) according to the United Nations, more than 74,000 Palestinians in Gaza were displaced from their homes during the conflict;

(2) recognises that the impact of this violence is far-reaching, and that many in the Australian community are hurting at this difficult time; and

(3) calls on the Government to ensure Australia is working constructively to support security and human rights in advance of a just and enduring two-state solution in the Middle East.

I reserve my right to speak.

Photo of Ross VastaRoss Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Photo of Anne StanleyAnne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

10:31 am

Photo of Maria VamvakinouMaria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

[by video link] I thank the member for Fowler. I've spoken in this parliament before about the situation in Jerusalem and the recent escalation of violence in Gaza. We've had a ceasefire since, but, tragically, we have witnessed the deaths of at least 222 Palestinians in Gaza alone, including 63 children, and 12 Israelis, including two children. It's another devastating humanitarian crisis for the people there, and we must not look at these figures in isolation. They come on top of the pervasive nature of the continued blockades in the occupation and the absence of a resolution that puts justice, dignity and human security at the heart of this conflict.

Importantly, we shouldn't sanitise figures and become inured to violence, destruction, death and suffering. I invite the House to look at the list of deaths from this latest tragedy. You will notice a pattern of family members listed en masse. How devastating it is for entire generations of families to be condemned to death and wiped out in one fell swoop. This motion speaks to their memory and adds voice to the calls of the many Australians across this country who are rightly outraged—the tens of thousands who took to the streets across each of our cities; who wrote to their members of parliament; who engaged in many forms of community action, calling on the Australian government to support security, human rights and justice for the Palestinian people; and for the many Australians, including those in my electorate, who wrote to me. Those killed are not just names and numbers. The images they saw are of streets and locations and of communities they are very familiar with not only in sentiment but in actual reality of kinship and ties.

One of the most devastating images to come out was that of a Palestinian child crying at the funeral of his father and brother, killed by Israeli airstrikes. He runs amidst the crowd in tears, crying hysterically, and in desperation yells: 'Goodbye, Father. I love you, my dear. I wish it was me instead of you.' And what of Nadine, a little 10-year-old Palestinian girl, one of the more than 74,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes, who stood in front of her destroyed house, crying: 'I'm only 10. I just want to be a doctor or anything to help my people, but I can't. I'm just a kid.'

Why should we pay particular attention to these words? It is because they remind us that we need to step up and take a lead on peacefully and justly resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to ensure that the words of these devastated young boys and girls do not condemn yet another generation lost to the failures of the international community. It is because the consequences are far reaching, not least geopolitically, not only to that region but to the world at large. If the international community absolves itself of the responsibility to ratify its own resolutions, we risk the inevitable consequences of outbreak after outbreak, an endless cycle of violence and counterviolence.

Countries such as Australia professing to be good international citizens by promoting peace-making, stability, justice and security should think about ways and means of making a direct real contribution to the peaceful and fair resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Australian government, our parliament and Australia's diplomatic community need to step up and do what we do best—get involved, get active and act as a trusted broker towards global efforts aimed at peace-making, mediation and conflict resolution.

We have a long history of engagement in multilateral institutions as a middle power with a pragmatic problem-solving ethos that gives priority to our diplomatic engagements. As the motion states, we must recognise that the impact of this conflict is far reaching and that many in the Australian community are hurting at this difficult time. This hurt also extends to members of our own Jewish community, who are also very concerned, along with many Israelis who I have met who have a diversity of opinion and who are troubled by the lack of peaceful resolution to this conflict. It is the voices of these people that the government should listen to because not only does it serve to promote the long-denied justice for the people of Palestine but they strengthen the very institutions we rely on for our own peace and security and Australia's ethos as an international good citizen.

10:36 am

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I'm happy to rise to speak on this motion because it is important for members in this place to speak on important issues of foreign affairs that obviously translate to domestic communities within Australia. Being a representative of the third largest Jewish community in Australia, this topic is of particular importance to me. We need to acknowledge the loss of life on both sides of this recent conflict. There have been Palestinian lives lost. There have been Israeli lives lost. It's particularly sad when it comes to the context of children.

But we must also always remind ourselves of the foundations of this conflict. It comes as a result of the failure of the Palestinian cause to respect a two-state solution and a pathway that recognises the right of the Jewish people in Israel as a foundational pillar for peace in the region. If that is not acknowledged and that is not accepted, it is difficult to find a scenario where people can live side by side, respecting their mutual right to self-determination, to their land, to their peace, to their security and to determine their own destiny into the future. That is the basis on which you will have a sustainable and durable peace that affects everybody and benefits everybody.

That has been the position of the Australian government and continues to be the position of the Australian government, because it's a clear understanding of the foundation on which the security and the peace of all people is based. Having been to Israel and the Palestinian territories myself, as other members have done over many years, we have seen firsthand the direct consequences of what happens when people are divided about a sense of shared future and mutual respect. We all want a scenario where there is peace and stability, because it benefits everybody and removes the risks of violence against people who should otherwise be safe and secure.

We have all been haunted by the images, particularly of rockets that have gone between Israel and Gaza, but we also know the origins of those rockets. The rockets that have come out of Gaza have been intercepted by the Iron Dome to protect the people of Israel and stop the loss of human life. We should be thankful that such security arrangements exist to protect people regardless of their ethnicity and regardless of their location and to ensure that people who seek peace and security in the region are not affected by rockets and do not experience the harsh consequences. Sadly, as the member moved in the motion, there have been tragic deaths on both sides of the conflict. That's a direct consequence of the attempted aggression and of Israel's right to defend itself.

Ultimately, we face choices in Australia as a country and as a middle power about how we can work to aid and assist peace and stability in the region. The basis on which we do that now, and we will continue to do so, is working through multilateral institutions with other like-minded countries that want peace and stability in the region. I particularly congratulate the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Payne who have been unequivocal through the various fora—particularly the United Nations Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly—and with both Israeli and Palestinian representatives about the need to take immediate steps to halt the violence, exercise restraint and commence peace discussions. These continue to be reiterated as required, as this conflict has gone on—there is a current ceasefire, but, of course, conflict may arise again—because the position of the Australian government is one that is anchored on mutual respect and responsibility and peace and security.

More critically, the foundation of the Australian policy position is the right of the Israeli people to their homelands as much as a recognition of the safety and security and the rights of the Palestinian people. We've had a number of different elections and different attitudes within Israel and, of course, amongst the Palestinian people. But we all know the foundation has to be anchored in the rights of the Israeli people and the respect by the Palestinians to the Israeli people in the same way that it should be reciprocated. It's that absence and that continued denial of the right of the people of Israel to their homeland that leads and justifies and is inflamed by those who want to take advantage and lead to conflict for their own interests and at the expense of, and with the waste of, human life, giving rise to tragedy.

10:41 am

Photo of Chris HayesChris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

by leave—From a very young age my upbringing caused me to know and understand that the Jews have, historically, been a much-persecuted people. Therefore, I find it easy to accept the right of the Jewish state to exist and I believe the people of Israel are entitled to live in peace. Having said that, the recent violence that we saw unfold in Israel, Gaza and Jerusalem was deeply concerning. The escalation of violence, the level of destruction and the loss of life are deeply disturbing—unacceptable and an affront to humanity. As a nation, we must be willing to stand up for human rights where we see them being oppressed, and that includes the rights of the Palestinian people.

There is no justification for indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israeli citizens and the use of unlawful force or violence. I recognise that Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. However, when I saw the unwarranted and excessive force against the Palestinian protesters—innocent worshippers who were going about their prayers during the holy month of Ramadan—I was shocked and revolted. The disproportionate use of force saw 222 Palestinians killed, 1,700 injured and 74,000 Palestinians in Gaza displaced during that conflict. This death toll includes 65 children. Having said that, Israel lost 12 people who were tragically killed and two children. These incidents have had a profound impact on me because I believe every life matters—Jews and Palestinians. No fair-minded person could possibly believe that what occurred in Israel, Gaza and Jerusalem was acceptable. The situation cries out for humanity and demands the attention of the international community. While it's pleasing to see that the agreed ceasefire is holding, it is also important to note that the issues underpinning the hostilities are still not resolved. This will ultimately require goodwill and a genuine commitment to the peace process—something that, I would assert, we are yet to see. Meanwhile, the cycle of tension, the escalation of violence and the destruction are all too familiar to the Israeli and Palestinian people. I absolutely believe in the right of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace within secure and recognised borders. That's why we must be committed to a just and enduring two-state solution based on a respect for human rights and being consistent with international law.

However, I've become increasingly concerned about the hostilities in Israel's occupied territories as well as the lack of progress towards the creation of the Palestinian state, as Palestinians too have a right to exist and to enjoy statehood. We must continue to use our voice within the international community to seek an unequivocal commitment from Israel to a Palestinian state and, importantly, the reinvigoration of the peace process itself. As part of this, the issue of settlements must be addressed, as this alone continues to frustrate any efforts towards a peace process. I'd also support the call for an immediate halt to the forced evacuations in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and to the ongoing forced displacements of the Palestinians from East Jerusalem.

I believe it falls to countries like Australia, who believe in the dignity of all people, to become more engaged in the peace process, addressing the need for tangible progress towards the creation of a Palestinian state while ensuring respect and security for the Jewish homeland. I recognise that peace will be achieved not by statements alone but rather by a concerted international diplomatic effort. Australia has an important role to play in this discussion, not only to ensure the ceasefire remains in place but in using its influence to promote a long-term solution.

I believe Israel's future depends on a peaceful relationship with its neighbours. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the Israeli and Palestinian people and their families, all of those affected in this recent violence. I end by lending support to the words of Pope Benedict: 'Let the two-state solution become a reality and not remain a dream.'

10:46 am

Photo of Gladys LiuGladys Liu (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I'm speaking with a heavy heart on this private member's motion. The recent violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories is and should be of grave concern to all of us. Whether or not we know anyone in the affected areas or have strong feelings on the conflict, as thinking, caring human beings we should all recognise its far-reaching impact.

In a statement on 12 May, Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Marise Payne, on behalf of the Australian government, unequivocally called on all leaders to take immediate steps to halt violence, to maintain restraint and to restore calm. She said what many of us were thinking:

Violence is no solution. Rocket attacks and indiscriminate acts that fuel the cycle of violence and bloodshed are never justified.

More concretely, she called for a halt to actions that increase tensions, including land appropriations, forced evictions, demolitions and settlement activity, and for a halt on unilateral actions that threaten peace in the region. Those messages, as well as those of the Prime Minister, have been reiterated to both Israeli and Palestinian officials and at forums including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly.

Now a ceasefire has been declared and the process of getting us back to a more permanent peace can begin in earnest. The Morrison government welcomes the ceasefire and commends the Egyptian and US diplomatic efforts that led to it, including US President Biden's direct conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority's President Abbas. It is imperative that the cycle of violence and bloodshed does not resume. Children in Israel and the Palestinian territories deserve a future that holds more than the prospect of perpetual conflict, destruction and loss of life. The ceasefire must continue to hold.

I recognise that, while this conflict is happening far away, many in the Australian community are hurting at this difficult time. Tensions and emotions are naturally running high. Some might say that they should run high, given the seriousness of this issue, but I hope that cooler heads prevail. Compromise is not a dirty word, and calm, respectful discussion, whether it is between governments or around the dinner table here in Australia, is not a sign that you do not care—quite the opposite, in fact. It means that you recognise the gravity of the situation, the sanctity of human life and the importance of adopting a sober, rational attitude to the issues at hand.

Australia joins the international community in supporting new approaches to peaceful solutions, and we add our voice of practical encouragement to those of the US, the UK, Egypt, the EU and others. The focus of all parties to the conflict must now be on a return to direct and genuine peace negotiations as soon as possible with a view to defining a just, durable and resilient peace agreement. I'm sure that all of us in this place, however we feel about who may be at fault, wish for an end to the conflict and for peace in the region. For as long as I can remember, this has seemed like an untenable dream, but it is only if we believe that it is out of reach that it will remain so.

10:51 am

Photo of Ged KearneyGed Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion. The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territories is complicated. It is loaded with history and littered with broken promises. It is a conflict that has been exacerbated by political leaders and extremists that have sought opportunities and division rather than negotiated outcomes. The recent fighting saw many deaths, and every death is tragic. But Israel is a major regional military power, and any conflict can only ever end badly for the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.

On Saturday 22 May, I attended a rally in Melbourne calling for an end to the disproportionate response by Israel in Gaza. For doing so, I have been called anti-Semitic by some across the chamber. I reject that categorically. Opposing the current policies and actions of the Israeli government makes me no more anti-Semitic than calling out the Chinese government actions make me a Sinophobe. Israel has a right to exist peacefully and within secure and recognised borders, but Palestinians also have a right to a sustainable state within secure and recognised borders. That requires negotiation and a lot of good will. It also requires justice for Palestinians, not scraps from the table.

In understanding the conflict, we cannot ignore the growing influence of ultranationalist Israeli political players and the power of the settler movement. The active resistance in Israel to the land-for-peace process has been a driving factor of the radicalisation of a new generation of Palestinians frustrated that the Oslo accords have never been implemented. UN Security Council resolution 2334, which passed unanimously in 2016, with the US abstaining, reaffirmed the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force. The resolution:

1. Reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace;

2. Reiterates its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem …

The fourth Geneva convention makes it illegal for nations to move populations and establish settlements in territories acquired in a war, and an overwhelming number of countries consider the Israeli settlements to be illegal on this basis. But along came the Trump administration in the US, which delivered a vision for peace that favoured Israel and sidelined the Palestinians. It was a plan that effectively gave the green light for Israel to control a unified Jerusalem and annex land in the occupied territories, leave existing settlements in place, while offering the Palestinians limited sovereignty. It is little wonder the Palestinians rejected this out of hand. Remember, the genesis of the most recent conflict was the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan evictions within East Jerusalem and the ongoing government campaign to expand settlements in the occupied territories. The Morrison government expressed zero concern at this prospect of Israeli annexation of the West Bank in 2020 and nor did the government voice any criticism of the so-called vision for peace. The reality of the peace plan is that, if only one side of the conflict supports it, there can be no peace.

The Morrison government last year slashed Australia's ODA funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency in the Palestinian territories by 50 per cent. This followed the Trump administration's decision to withdraw all US funding to the UNWRA, a decision that has thankfully been reversed by the Biden-Harris administration. The Morrison government also discontinued AMENCA, an aid program established by John Howard to help Palestinian farmers become more self-reliant. And then just two weeks ago, on 14 May, Mr Morrison dishonestly claimed that the two-state solution was no longer bipartisan. This was despite the day before Labor making it clear our ongoing support for a two-state solution while joining with the foreign minister in calling for a halt to actions that increase tensions, including land appropriations, forced evictions, demolitions and settlement activity.

We must never forget that Mr Morrison's prime ministership began by breaking decades of bipartisanship with the Jerusalem embassy debacle to pander for votes in the Wentworth by-election. This Prime Minister has diminished Australia's credibility on this important international issue. Resolution 2334 condemns indiscriminate acts on civilians by both sides, as do I. I welcome the proposed UN investigation into possible crimes against humanity, whether by Hamas or Israel. I'm not going to be silent about criticising actions that hamper peace.

10:56 am

Photo of Ken O'DowdKen O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I'm pleased to speak on the private member's motion on recent violence in Palestine. It's been a terrible time for Palestine for a very long time. If you want to put a date on it, it goes back to 1948. However, what we saw last month in Palestine was horrific. Hundreds of Palestinians, including children and women, have been killed. Thousands have been injured. This all happened in the middle of one of the world's worst pandemics. More than 50,000 have been left homeless. Of course, Israelis did not get off scot-free. There were many injuries and deaths in Israel. We have watched the horror unfold in Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and many towns in Israel.

Around Australia, people have gathered for Palestine in numbers never seen before. Fifteen thousand attended protests in Melbourne and Sydney. There have been other events in Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Newcastle and Wollongong to show their support for peace in that troubled land.

Israel needs to be held accountable. They have the power to solve the problem. They have, hopefully, the diplomatic processes through their alliance with America to achieve this. Thousands of Palestinians have gone into the streets in a campaign to clean up the destruction caused by the latest bombings in their fair land. The slogans that has united them is, 'We will rebuild it.' Such resilience, such bravery and such determination have been witnessed. It is so very important that the cycle of violence ceases and does not resume. The ceasefire agreement must be upheld.

Youth unemployment in Palestine is very high, something around 70 per cent. This cannot continue. If it does, it will only bring about more unrest. Palestinians deserve equality. The time theft that is prevalent in their society on a day-to-day basis cannot last. This is sure to bring about unrest. The apartheid culture that exists has no future. It will not bring about an amnesty.

I remind Australians that Palestinian forces fought alongside Anzacs in World War I, and the Battle of Beersheba took place in southern Israel. That is, of course, a famous battle that the Allies, including Anzacs and the Palestinians won, forcing the Germans and the Ottoman Empire further north, towards Turkey.

Seventeen thousand eight hundred and eighty-four Australians have written to their elected representatives calling for action. Our voices here in Parliament House are paramount so that Palestinians can achieve freedom and equality. I hope to see the fulfilment of the promise of independence made to Palestinians by the United Nations 73 years ago. I ask that we all stand for justice, fairness and equality today and stand with Palestine and Israel to bring about everlasting peace. In my two trips to Palestine and Israel, I never heard one Palestinian say to me that they wanted anything else but peace. They love the thought of peace. They want to bring their people out of the refugee camps where they have been since 1948 in some cases. All they want is peace. They realise it must seem a very complex issue for people who live outside of Israel, Palestine and Gaza, but it can be resolved. But it will need the determination and will of the people, and the Australian government can help in bringing about this peace and equality that they so deserve.

11:02 am

Photo of Josh BurnsJosh Burns (Macnamara, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

'We can continue to fight. We can continue to kill—and continue to be killed. But we can also try to put a stop to this never-ending cycle of blood. We can also give peace a chance.' Those were the words spoken by the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin after signing the Oslo Accords 26 years ago. It was a time filled with hope, optimism and potential, and, of course, it was a time that was unforgivably ripped apart by a Jewish extremist who shot and killed the Israeli Prime Minister. His assassination essentially tore up those prospects for peace.

I join other members in this place in speaking about this issue. I come to it from a place of extreme distress and heartbreak in witnessing what we saw over the last month in Israel, in Gaza and in the West Bank. We all are joined in hoping that that cycle of violence is brought to an end.

I do have to say that I think one of the key issues that confront this region and the Israelis and the Palestinians is trust. The Israelis are, quite rightly, nervous about what sort of response they will get from Hamas, who have launched over 4,000 rockets into civilian areas, and the Palestinian people, quite rightly, have trust issues because they have had restrictions on movements, on their living standards and on their ability to travel and work in different parts. We need to see an end to that as well. Trust takes a long time to build and it takes a very short time to be taken away. I really want to see more trust being built, slowly but surely, by both sides. Without it, there will never ever be peace, there will never ever be an opportunity for peace and there will never ever be a chance to end this devastating cycle of violence.

I want to take this opportunity to send my condolences to all of the victims of the violence, especially the too many children who were killed in this conflict, especially in Gaza. Of course, we also send our condolences to the children in Israel who were caught up in this violence, as well as to the two Thai workers and the Indian national who was working in the Israeli city of Ashkelon when a rocket landed on their factory, killing her.

I also need to take this opportunity to say that I think it's unfair of Australians to assume they understand all of the complexities of this conflict. It's unfair of Australians to assume that we get what life is like from the perspective of either a young Palestinian person or an Israeli person. We don't. We don't understand the complexities, we don't understand the history, and for us to cast judgement automatically is problematic in the first place. I believe it is our role, as a country, to support efforts to build trust and cooperation between these two people.

I have witnessed a pretty dark side in Australia over the last month. The Jewish community in Australia has been on the receiving end of a barrage of pretty aggressive and ugly behaviour by many people in the Australian community, as if it is somehow responsible for the actions or the outcomes of the conflict on the other side of the world. I want to say here, clearly and unequivocally, that if you are making a statement about the conflict in the Middle East but you're making it to a Jewish person or a Jewish business in Australia then that is no longer a comment about the Middle East. You are making an anti-Semitic statement, and it is unacceptable to take out your anger and frustration about this conflict against Jewish people around the world. We've seen it in New York and in Europe, and, of course, in Melbourne as well, where people and businesses have been vandalised, so I have to call that out.

I finish by saying that I still have hope. I still dream of the Israelis and the Palestinians one day living side by side in two states, full of peace, full of hope and full of trust.

Photo of David GillespieDavid Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | | Hansard source

There being no further speakers, the debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.