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

We have witnessed more than 18 months of active genocide in Palestine, in Gaza and in the West Bank—over 18 months of murdering children; of targeting hospitals, medical staff and journalists; of destroying entire neighbourhoods and wiping out entire families; of the most horrendous crimes, broadcast live to the world; of cutting humanitarian aid; of apartheid; of ethnic cleansing; and of brutal and unrelenting bombing and expansion into Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Israel has never had any genuine regard for any peace process with Palestinians over the past 78 years of its existence. This colonial project has always been hell-bent on its mission of total annihilation of the Palestinian people and their aspirations for justice, equality and the establishment of a Palestinian nation.

The only way to stop Israel from executing its genocidal mission is for massive international pressure, particularly from Western nations who are supplying their army with vital military equipment. Just last week the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report called More than a human can bear, detailing horrific crimes of sexual violence carried out by Israel against Palestinians. Yet this report has been conveniently and largely ignored by the Australian government and the mainstream media outlets. We have seen the deaths of two journalists, Hossam Shabbat and Mohammed Mansour, while mainstream media refused to report on the cold-blooded murder of their colleagues.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has determined that Israel is practising racial segregation and apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territory. Bob Hawke, during apartheid in South Africa, successfully pressured the global financial sector to divert from South Africa, which directly contributed to the collapse of the apartheid regime. Why is Australia treating Israel's apartheid differently? Since Israel invaded Gaza in 2023 we have seen a tidal wave of solidarity and of staunch resistance, a movement of millions of people taking to the streets, making their voices heard, asking their representatives to call the accumulating atrocities what they are: a genocide. Yet this government hasn't even got the guts to call it so.

The major parties this morning, in opposing my genocide bill, showed they are not willing to act on genocide and accountability for war crimes or crimes against humanity. This country supplies weapons to Israel, without which they wouldn't be able to commit these crimes. This isn't just complicity; it is enabling of war crimes and genocide. The government claims it has legal advice affirming that its actions are in line with international law, yet it refuses to release this.

It is exactly what one would expect of a colonial institution that never even signed a treaty with its First Peoples. This colony was built on genocide and is now enabling another one. On the national day of action for Palestine, I call on this government to repair the hurt you have caused by finally acting and imposing an arms embargo and sanctions on the State of Israel—