Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that the slogan "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" opposes Israel's right to exist, and is frequently used by those who seek to intimidate Jewish Australians via acts of antisemitism;

(b) welcomes Prime Minister Albanese agreeing with comments from former Defence Department Secretary Dennis Richardson calling the slogan "a very violent statement" which could "easily flow into actions of violence against communities in our own country";

(c) agrees with Prime Minister Albanese that "it is a slogan that calls for opposition to a two-state solution", and that "those people chanting, they're saying that one state should be Palestine";

(d) concurs with Prime Minister Albanese's statements in relation to recent university protests that "it's important that there be respectful debate in this country and what we're seeing at the moment… what is hatred, what is ignorance, what is divisive…and it doesn't have a place"; and

(e) calls on all senators to engage in debates and commentary respectfully, and to refrain from inflammatory and divisive comments, both inside and outside the chamber at all times.

This motion notes that the slogan, 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,' opposes Israel's right to exist and is frequently used by those who seek to intimidate Jewish Australians via acts of antisemitism. This motion also welcomes Prime Minister Albanese agreeing with comments from former Secretary of the Department of Defence Dennis Richardson calling the slogan 'a very violent statement which could easily flow into actions of violence against communities in our country'. He further agrees with Prime Minister Albanese that it is 'a slogan that calls for opposition to a two-state solution' and that 'those people chanting are saying that one state should be Palestine'. It concurs with Prime Minister Albanese's statements in relation to recent university protests:

It's important that there be respectful debate in this country and what we are seeing at the moment … what is hatred, what is ignorance, what is divisive, and it doesn't have a place.

Lastly, this motion—as the Senate has done before—calls upon all senators to engage in debates and commentary respectfully and to refrain from inflammatory and divisive comments both inside and outside the chamber at all times. The conflict in the Middle East has unacceptably infected nations around the world, including, tragically, our own. The actions of some have created division. They have fuelled hatred, and they have spurred a most horrific rise in antisemitism. Antisemitism is one of the most ancient forms of hatred. It corrodes societies. As we witnessed during the Holocaust, with the deliberate killing of some six million Jews, when antisemitism is left unchecked, it can result in the most heinous of outcomes. Antisemitism manifests itself in many ways—

including the chanting of the slogan being said in the chamber right now.