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

I rise to take note of the minister's response to my question. The Labor government have now stopped even pretending that they care about Palestinians or international law or even international aid. The Labor government want us to believe that they rushed through their reckless, divisive, dangerous and antidemocratic laws in the name of unity, protection against racism, and social cohesion, but the Albanese government are hypocrites, banging the drum of unity while doing the most divisive thing possible by laying out the welcome mat for Isaac Herzog, head of a state committing genocide. You don't fight racism by rolling out the red carpet for war criminals. Isaac Herzog is a man found by the UN commission of inquiry to have publicly incited genocide. This is a man who autographed bombs used to flatten hospitals, murder children and destroy entire apartment blocks indiscriminately, yet Labor and Liberal politicians are falling over themselves to justify his visit.

We are now officially a state that not only appeases but welcomes war criminals, a state that no longer believes in international law. Labor's deceit and dishonesty are there for everyone to see. While pretending to crack down on selective racism and hate, they do nothing to stop the ultimate expression of racism—genocide and apartheid. We are now a country where the political class would rather destroy our democratic civil and human rights and make a mockery of international law than take meaningful action against genocide, war crimes, hate and racism. Israel has massacred and dehumanised Palestinians for decades and is on a genocidal mission to erase them. Labor has refused to sign a statement with Canada, the UK, France and other countries, condemning Israel for demolishing UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem.

The Prime Minister hasn't yet ripped up Trump's invitation to join his farcical and imperial Board of Peace, but people in this country—people who take their moral responsibilities seriously, unlike the Labor government—will not let Herzog's visit go unchallenged. We should be arresting Herzog when he sets foot in this country, not rolling out the red carpet. Labor: it is absolutely disgraceful what you are doing, and you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Question agreed to.