Christine Milne (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

(i) as of 19 November 2012, the tragic loss of over 100 Palestinian and three Israeli lives in the latest conflict in Gaza,

(ii) the disproportionate Israeli response in Gaza and that the parties to the conflict are not equivalent as Israel is the world's fifth largest military power and Palestine has a weakened and constricted economy and is subject to restrictions on freedom of movement and goods in breach of international law, and

(iii) rather than women and children being used as human shields in Gaza, the small physical area of Gaza means there is nowhere for women and children to go to be safe from bombings; and

(b) calls on:

(i) the parties to the conflict in Israel and Palestine to immediately cease all armed attacks in order to protect civilians, and

(ii) the Australian Government to:

  (A) strongly advocate for an immediate cease fire and for Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza,

  (B) use its new found influence as a member of the United Nations Security Council to urge the implementation of the recommendations of the Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict in 2009 (the operation known by the Israeli Defence Force as Operation Cast Lead) to ensure the atrocities of that conflict are not repeated, and

  (C) reiterate Australia's commitment to a two state solution.