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

I thank the member for Kooyong for bringing forward this motion in this place. There is a misconception out there that I often hear: that somehow Jewish community members in Australia want to see this war continue—that somehow the Jewish community want to see this terrible war go on and that they support all sorts of terrible things that are happening to the Palestinian people. It just could not be further from the truth. The truth is that this has been devastating, obviously, for people in the region but it has also been devastating for communities right around the world, and the Jewish community in Australia has been at the point of the spear when it comes to the consequences and the pushback that we have seen as a result of this conflict.

Just think for a second of what we have become desensitised to in this country. Concerts by Jewish performers like Deborah Conway and performances by Jewish comedians have been invaded, as have Jewish community centres. People feel that that's appropriate. Last week, two Jewish boys at Caulfield Station were physically assaulted for being Jewish. I personally have had my office visited in the early hours of the morning by people who sought to cause damage. This has been, in my 37 years living in this country, one of the most devastating and awful times for the community that I am so proud to represent. No-one in the Jewish community in Australia wants this war to continue, and no-one wants to see the devastation, displacement or loss of life of Palestinian people. We are humans above all else, and we want to see dignity for all people, freedom for all people and a future for all people.

That's why the way we conduct ourselves in this place really matters. I wish we could click our fingers in the House of Representatives and cause the war to be over, but it is just not the case. What we can do is hold the nuanced, respectful, calm and measured debate that this country was built on—the respect for one another, the multiculturalism, the fact that we conduct political discussions in a way that respects each and every Australian.

It is not okay to point the finger at community groups and diaspora groups around the world. It's not okay to target Jewish community organisations if you somehow have views on the Middle East, because they are not the Israeli government. They are Australians, and, if you are targeting Jewish people in Australia because of your views on the Middle East, then you are crossing a line. In the same way, the Palestinian diaspora community and the Islamic diaspora community here in Australia are off limits. They are people who are worried about their family. They're worried about the future of their people, and they want to see a better life for their community as well. But they cannot be held responsible for the actions of Hamas, and they absolutely should not be held responsible for any of the devastation that we're seeing as part of this conflict.

We're Australians, and we're Australians first. We need to remind ourselves that there needs to be space, as I believe the member for Kooyong outlined quite articulately. We are Australians, we are people and we have a shared humanity. We need to respect each other. I've seen people come into this place and say the most terrible things about the way in which we must be blamed for one another and that we must bring this conflict to Australia's shores and make it all about our political discourse. There are those in this place that have tried to do that, but that is the wrong approach. It will divide our communities and divide our country further. Rather, what we need to do in this place is to remind ourselves that each and every Australian and every minority group in Australia deserves to live with respect and dignity in our country and that social cohesion isn't just a term; it's a philosophy that we all must adhere to. It's a practice that we all must adhere to to ensure that each of us has a safe and respected place in Australian society.

I have seen the destruction of social cohesion happening over the last 11 months, over people's opinions of the war, but we must be better than that. We must respect each other as this conflict hopefully comes to an end.

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