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

I rise to condemn the violent occupation of Palestine, the brutality of the colonial power that is Israel and their state-sanctioned murder of the Palestinian people. In 2022, Israeli forces murdered more than 170 Palestinians, including 53 children. Since the start of 2023, 160 lives have been taken, including 35 children. Three of these murders happened only four days ago. We know this grief, sorrow and anger. It binds First People and Palestinians together. We share a history and reality of attempted genocide and are both yet to experience liberation in self-determination, governance and sovereignty. We know how it feels to be on the end of a slow, pervasive violence that claims more and more lives as time goes on, with no-one blinking an eye. We know about apartheid, and we know about being occupied by a power incapable of recognising the truth.

Almost 140 nations, including the Vatican, have recognised Palestine as a state, but Australia has not. Unsurprisingly, colonial powers are brothers in blood and have a common problem with recognising sovereignty both at home and abroad. This government must recognise sovereignty abroad and at home, recognise the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over all the land taken since 1967 and call for the Israeli government to end the illegal occupation. I welcome the government changing its language to recognise that the occupation of the state of Palestine is illegal under international law. I call on the government to continue on this path to truth and formally recognise Israel as— (Time expired)