Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, their targeting and their murder of civilians and the taking of Israeli hostages was inexcusable. Since then, the civilian population of Gaza has been forced to pay the price for Hamas's reprehensible actions. It's been clear from its onset that this conflict would lead to tragic levels of civilian suffering and death. More than 200 Israeli hostages remain captive in Gaza, many of them children and infants. Thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Journalists, medical personnel and humanitarian staff have also been killed in Gaza. Gazans have suffered the tragedy of being used as human shields. The war has caused life-threatening shortages of water, food, fuel and medicines, and for the last five weeks the whole world has watched on in horror and with grief.

In Australia, Jewish and Muslim communities are shocked, saddened, fearful and angry, both about the war and about how it has affected our society here. I'd suggest that every Jewish individual and every Muslim individual in this country, every member of the Israeli and Palestinian diaspora, has been traumatised by this tragedy. They feel pain, they feel helpless, they are hurting. Some have struggled to let others speak of their sadness regarding this human tragedy and of their desire for peace. They've struggled to allow that without falling into accusations and reproach. We often say that there is no room for antisemitism or Islamophobia in Australia, but both have been expressed in the streets of this country in recent weeks: in protests and in demonstrations; in writing and online; in attacks on schoolchildren, faith groups and businesses. Communities are divided and people feel unsafe.

In recent years, this country has dealt with the frightening uncertainties of a pandemic and, more recently, with a bruising referendum. Social cohesion is at a record low. We're struggling with cost-of-living and housing crises, and with increasing intergenerational inequities. Australians are polarised and stressed, but now on our televisions and social media feeds we're seeing images of untold loss.

We need our leaders to take us forward with empathy and with generosity, to hold us together and to remind us of our shared values. Instead, at this time of great grief and horror, the opposition has chosen to foment anger, when what we needed was respectful, measured leadership. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition elevated tensions with false accusations. He launched a mean-spirited attack when he could have modelled compassion and kindness. He claimed concern that temperatures were rising, while he poured further fuel on the fire. That is not leadership. Going down dark rabbit holes of fearmongering and name-calling is the last thing that this country needs.

We all need to unite, not divide, our communities. We need to support all faith, racial and ethnic groups in this wonderful melting pot of a country. We need to show all Australians as best we can our support, our care, our respect and our love. We need to tell all Jewish Australians and Muslim Australians that they matter, that they are valued, that their presence enriches our culture and makes us better, and that we cannot ourselves solve the terrible divisions in the Middle East but we can resolve and we can ensure that they don't divide us here. Now, more than ever, we have to work together to support our communities in their hurt and in their trauma and to hold each other close.

The language that we use matters. We have to let all Australians speak their truth, and we have to hear them with respect. We have to reject the divisive tactics adopted by the opposition in this place yesterday. I pledge to work as best I can for as long as I am in this House to support all members of my electorate and to work for peace and cohesion in this country.

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