Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McKim has submitted a proposal, under standing order 75, today, which has been circulated and is shown on the Dynamic Red:

That the risk of mass death from starvation in Gaza, with millions of Palestinians facing catastrophic hunger, is a result of Israel's aid blockade, and that it is critical the Australian Government intensify its efforts—including diplomatic and economic measures—to pressure the Israeli Government to open all border crossings and allow the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid."

Is consideration of the proposal supported?

M ore than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—

With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with informal arrangements made by the whips.

Mehreen Faruqi (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator McKim, I move:

That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:

That the risk of mass death from starvation in Gaza, with millions of Palestinians facing catastrophic hunger, is a result of Israel's aid blockade, and that it is critical the Australian Government intensify its efforts—including diplomatic and economic measures—to pressure the Israeli Government to open all border crossings and allow the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid.

I used to say we are sliding into a dystopian future, but it is clear now that we are already living in it. Israel's mass starvation, displacement, demolition, slaughter and devastation are deliberate. It is brutal, it is inhumane, and it is savage. We warned you all, from the very beginning, that this is where we would end up. Israeli ministers themselves made it clear that this is where we would end up, but you flocked to defend Israel, knowing they have been killing, arresting, torturing and permanently injuring Palestinians for decades. Labor MPs, including members of this chamber, flocked to Israel for photo opportunities with genocidal Israeli soldiers and politicians. Our Attorney-General turned up to Israel to shake hands when he should have been issuing arrest warrants. Labor governments across the country are still working overtime to stop antigenocide protests and protesters. It has taken almost two years for Labor to wake up.

With this Greens motion here in front of us today, even with the amendments that Labor is going to propose, the Senate will vote to support a motion that says that Israel's aid blockade is a breach of international law and that it is critical that the Australian government continue intensifying its efforts, including diplomatic and further action, to pressure the Israeli government to open all border crossings and allow the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid. This motion today is only happening because of the pressure that people out there in the streets have put on this Labor government, week after week after week, for two years. The Greens have been very proud to bring that pressure and their voice right into parliament.

Today, the Senate will agree that the Albanese government needs to take more action—not more words, not more signatures, but more action. We will not stop here. We hold the Labor government to account to actually take that action—concrete action like putting sanctions on Israel and ending the two-way arms trade—so we can actually stop and end the genocide. We know that Israel has sealed off Gaza's borders, choking off life-saving aid. The assistance being distributed comes through Israeli and US backchannels, and it is controlled by mercenaries who decide who lives and who dies in these death traps. This is not aid. This is control. This is occupation. This is murder. This is erasure.

We are facing down another Nakba. Yet there have been no red lines, no sanctions and no accountability. Israel can kill anyone it wants—journalists, doctors, nurses, children and even aid workers like Australian Zomi Frankcom. It can destroy hospitals, universities, homes and schools, with total impunity. This is not just a crisis for the people and nations being bombed by Israel; it is a crisis of humanity and it is a crisis of conscience for us all.

I hope today is the day when this chamber and this parliament wakes up to the inhumanity that has been happening. We are very proud that we, and the people out there in our democracy, have brought this chamber and this parliament and this government to this place, because this was always a moral choice; this was always a moral pathway. And this is the least that we can do.

Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition will not be supporting this motion. Can I be clear, though: nobody wants to see the suffering of people in Gaza, and we are saddened and shocked, like everybody, at the loss of life in Gaza. Proper quantities of food and other aid must be provided to the people of Gaza. Israel needs to work with international organisations, and international organisations need to work with Israel, to increase the distribution of aid to those who need it. There is suffering across Gaza. An increase in the distribution of aid could alleviate this suffering.

The coalition have made it clear that we believe aid should freely flow into Gaza. Furthermore, it is our wish that the terrorist group Hamas surrenders and the war is ended as soon as possible. But, again, the coalition will not support this motion, because, once again, the Australian Greens are totally ignoring the role of the militant terrorist group Hamas in the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It would be nice if, just for once, the Australian Greens would just admit that the militant terrorist group Hamas are the reason for the devastating situation in Gaza, but the Greens never seem to want to actually admit that the blame for this war lies squarely at the feet of the militant terrorist organisation Hamas.

The coalition, on the other hand, fundamentally believes that the moral responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is squarely on the terrorist group Hamas. The war in Gaza began because of Hamas's abhorrent attack on Israeli citizens. This was initiated through their barbaric acts on 7 October 2023. These attacks were some of the worst we have seen in recent history, making the loss of Jewish life the largest in any single day since the Holocaust, with many others then taken hostage. Those barbaric attacks, let us not conveniently forget, involved rape, torture and the murder of innocent civilians, including men, women and children, babies and the elderly. These attacks led to many innocent civilians being murdered. Others remain in captivity, 21 months later.

The barbaric Hamas terrorists who committed the October 7 attacks proudly filmed their crimes and posted their murderous rampages on social media. Quite frankly, there are few groups in this global world that are worse than the militant terrorist organisation of Hamas. Hamas use their own people as human shields. It is a disgrace. They hide in hospitals. It is a disgrace. They hide in schools. What cowards they are! They murder those who try and stand up to them, and they still hold 50 hostages from Israel.

Problems with the flow of aid are largely because of Hamas's deliberate campaign against Israel. They have repeatedly diverted and stockpiled aid in Gaza meant for civilians, but you won't see the Australian Greens talking about that. Hamas have been using this aid for their own military and political advancements. They have been filmed hijacking trucks full of aid. Their stated goal—it is in their charter; they live by it each and every day—is the destruction of the State of Israel.

One of Hamas's disgusting tactics is to use their own civilians as human shields and then blame Israel when people are attacked. They are now disrupting the flow of aid into Gaza and blame Israel when their own people face hunger and starvation. It is important that the moral outrage surrounding aid and supplies is directed at the terrorist organisation Hamas. However, both the Albanese government and the Australian Greens have deliberately been silent on the devastating effects that Hamas is having on the people of Gaza. This includes Hamas blocking aid and supplies. Remember that this war could end tomorrow. Hamas could end the suffering of the people tomorrow by freeing the Israeli hostages and laying down their arms. They choose not to.

Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move an amendment to the motion:

Omit all words after "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:", substitute:

That Israel's aid blockade, which risks mass death from starvation in Gaza and millions of Palestinians facing catastrophic hunger, is a breach of international law, and that it is critical the Australian Government continue intensifying its efforts including diplomatic and further action to pressure the Israeli Government to open all border crossings and allow the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid.

From the government's perspective, we do want to set out our position in relation to the resolution that's been circulated. Australians are all distressed by the ongoing violence, including the deaths of so many innocent civilians. As the Prime Minister has said, the situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears. The position of the Australian government is very clear: every innocent life matters. We reiterate our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the release of all of the remaining hostages. The government remains unequivocal in our condemnation of Hamas and its ongoing acts of terror.

Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel's denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food is indefensible. We call on Israel to comply immediately with its obligations under international law. This includes allowing the United Nations and non-government organisations to carry out their life-saving work safely and without hindrance. On our own, Australia has few ways to move the dial in the Middle East. That's why we have been so focused on partnering with other countries that also want to end this war to deliver life-saving aid, support a two-state solution and uphold international law. It's only by being active in the international community that we can build momentum for peace.

On 29 July, Australia and 14 countries released the document called the 'New York call', demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate release of hostages and unhindered humanitarian access. The joint statement reiterates Australia's commitment to a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine live side by side in peace within secure and recognised borders, consistent with international law. Australia has consistently been part of the international call on Israel to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid to Gaza in line with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice. Together with our partners, we have condemned Israel's denial of aid and the killing of civilians seeking access to water and food. The Prime Minister has said that these actions are indefensible. As he has said, it is a breach of international law to stop food being delivered, which is the decision that Israel made in March. The denial of humanitarian aid and basic services to Palestinian civilians is a violation of international law. Israel must act in accordance with international law. And Australia has been clear that Israel must comply with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice, including to ensure the unhindered provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance at scale in Gaza.

The call released by Australia and 14 countries on 29 July expresses grave concern over the high number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This follows the statement released by Australia and 29 other countries on 21 July which calls on Israel to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively. We continue to emphasise to Israel that humanitarian aid should never be politicised. Dire UN reports about starvation of civilians, including children, underline our call. Our humanitarian partners have confirmed that they stand ready to provide immediate and life-saving assistance to the people of Gaza. We condemn the abhorrent and outrageous comments made by members of the Netanyahu government about these people in crisis.

Lidia Thorpe (Victoria, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What we are seeing in Gaza is not simply a famine. It is the result of Israel's deliberate and intentional starvation of Palestinian people. Starvation is being used as a method of mass murder and as a tactic in the ongoing ethnic cleansing, genocide and colonisation of the Palestinian people. Despite the sudden concern we are seeing from the Albanese government, the crisis didn't happen overnight. Over two long years of violence, we have witnessed horrific scenes of Israel's genocidal campaign against Palestinians—fathers crying out as they hold what is left of their dismembered children, unborn babies removed from their deceased pregnant mothers, surgeons operating in overcrowded hospitals without anaesthetic and crushed bodies retrieved from underneath the rubble.

We have seen psychological warfare as Israel has forcibly displaced Palestinian families, watching as they flee their homes for their supposed safety only to be bombed in makeshift tents. Most recently, we are watching Israel's latest genocidal tactic of starvation, with skeletal children fenced like animals in a cage, holding out pots as they beg for food and aid to simply survive another day. This government pretends it is not a major player in this genocide. This is a lie. They spread misinformation about Australia's role in funding and arming Israel, pretending that the bomb bay doors they supply for F-35 jets are non-lethal in nature. These are the doors that release the bombs that slaughter innocent civilians.

This government contributed to the starvation of Palestinians by suspending funding to UNRWA, the primary humanitarian agency providing food, water and medical aid. This government chooses to do these things and to defend Israel's war crimes, rather than to confront the moral and legal obligations they refuse to uphold. This is not, and has never been, about Israel's so-called right to self-defence. It has been over 77 years of occupation, apartheid, dispossession and ethnic cleansing of Palestine, with one clear goal to erase Palestinians and take their land. We are now seeing a sudden panic regarding the crisis in Gaza—that maybe the starvation of children is a bridge too far, not something that can be deflected as a matter of self-defence but genocide.

Despite the government and the media spending the past two years parroting Israeli propaganda to manufacture consent for genocide, we welcome the latecomers because this is a matter of Palestinian life or death. Israel continues to cross red lines; it does so with impunity. Each time this government stays silent, Israel is given the green light to carry on its genocide, knowing it can get away with it. Strongly worded emails and sharpened criticism of Israel's actions are not enough to hold Israel accountable. This government has the power to take real action and put an end to the mass murder of Palestinians.

The Palestinian population is on the brink of complete annihilation as this genocide enters its final iteration. We demand urgent action before it's too late. We demand nothing less than a full arms embargo, the sanctioning of Israel—this means economic sanctions against the state of Israel, not just against individuals—and the recognition of a Palestinian state, not as a threat against Israel but as a human right. Until then, this government is not only complicit in but also an active contributor to the genocide of Palestinians.

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would be the only senator in this chamber who has actually been to Israel, boots on the ground, shortly after October 7. I went there in December 2023, along with my colleague the member for Macnamara and the then senators Birmingham and Fawcett, who have now departed this chamber. What I saw shocked me to the core. It was like nothing I have ever experienced. I have seen plenty of death as a doctor—believe me, I have—but this was a level of atrocity and depravity that I've never experienced before and I will never forget.

I went to Kfar Aza, a kibbutz on the Gaza border. I could see the plumes of smoke. I could hear the gunships going overhead and the bombs dropping. It was frightening. Kfar Aza was a burnt-out shell, with pockmarked walls and blood splattered on the walls, mattresses and furniture, and you could smell the death. I then went to a town called Sderot, which, again, is on the southern border of Israel. That town, incidentally, has the highest level of enuresis—for those who don't know, enuresis is bedwetting—because the children in that community are constantly under attack. There are sirens going constantly, day and night, because of missiles and rockets flying overhead from Gaza.

As the member for Higgins, I had a very large Jewish community. Around 6½ thousand constituents identified as Jewish. The vast majority of my constituents were descendants of Holocaust survivors. Australia has the largest Holocaust survivor community outside of Israel. I have a deep connection with my then community and also with Israel. I identify as a friend of Israel. I am an ally of Israel. But, as an ally of Israel, I am not here to rubberstamp what the Netanyahu government is doing. I will not rubberstamp what the Netanyahu government is doing. It has distressed me to no end that I have seen very little effort going into crafting a political off-ramp to this devastating conflict. We have now had two years of a military campaign which has reshaped the Middle East. We've seen that ripple effect go out. But I have not seen sufficient effort by the Netanyahu government to actually craft a political solution.

Right now, the people of Gaza are suffering. There is a humanitarian catastrophe. There are no words left anymore in our lexicon to describe what is going on there. It is unconscionable that children should be starving. It is unconscionable that pregnant mothers cannot deliver. There is no anaesthesia or painkillers and insufficient antibiotics for the trauma and blast injuries that are being dealt with—when I know that a few kilometres away, across the border, there are supermarkets groaning with food.

Right now the Netanyahu government has not articulated to the global community what the political solution to this is. This is a problem that has spanned back 100 years. It has its roots in the Balfour Declaration in 1917. That's where this conflict started. There has never been justice for the Palestinian people. Similarly, there has been an undermining, over a long period of time, of the two-state solution. Right now, we are left with a problem which has not been managed. It's been mismanaged over a long period of time. It has never actually been resolved.

What we need to do as a global community and, indeed, as a country is not divide any further but come together and support the Netanyahu government—to nudge them in the right direction, push them in the right direction to make better choices—because not only are they bringing Israel into disrepute and further isolation; there is an unconscionable stain on this country's history, I fear, with the deaths of so many people. It's disproportionate, and I say this as an ally of Israel. My Jewish community know who I am. They know how hard I have fought for them, and I will continue to do so, but there must be a better solution to this conflict. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It being 5 pm, we'll go to first speeches, and then we will return to this matter.