Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) | Link to this | Hansard source

Labor have now put stronger sanctions on Senator Payman than they have on Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist government in Israel. Labor have put harsher sanctions on someone who is speaking up for the people of Gaza than on an extremist prime minister who is conducting a genocidal invasion of Gaza. That is shameful.

People may be wondering, 'What can the government here do about this war that is taking place in Gaza?' The answer is: a lot. Labor spin and say there's nothing we can do, but that's not the approach they take to other conflicts, with 703 sanctions placed on or in connection with Iran, 568 for Syria and 1,300-plus for Russia. But, when it comes to Israel and placing sanctions on the extremist Benjamin Netanyahu government, there's absolutely nothing, even as 130,000 Palestinians have been killed or are injured or missing.

We need action and we need to take steps, because otherwise, every time Benjamin Netanyahu crosses another so-called red line and there are no consequences from the international community, he will keep doing it. Thousands more will die from the bombings unless we take action. Labor could sanction Israel, could stop the two-way arms trade, could expel the Israeli ambassador until the invasion stops and could join South Africa's case in the International Court of Justice. It is time for Labor to act.