Skip navigation

Gaza Conflict - Motion

profile image
Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP
18 October 2023

I also signal my disappointment at the wording of the motion before us today, because how we conduct ourselves and what we say in this place matters; it has real-life consequences. But we continue to see members use this extremely complex and sensitive situation to weaponise people's grief, suffering and despair for their own political advantage and public profile. What happened to the people of Israel on 7 October was horrific. I was as sick to the stomach as anyone else at the indiscriminate slaughtering of so many innocent people.

What has also made me sick to the stomach is the grandstanding, virtue signalling, and ignorant and irresponsible statements made in this place that conveniently ignore the human rights abuses that have occurred for decades in Gaza and the West Bank; that conveniently ignore the news overnight of the bombing of a hospital in the centre of Gaza city that has killed potentially more than 1,000 people, with many still trapped beneath the rubble; that conveniently ignore the fact that there are more than two million people—one million of them, at least, are children—trapped in Gaza. They are trapped in an unimaginable nightmare they cannot escape from, with bombs dropping indiscriminately, rubble all around them, hospitals full, with no food, no shelter, no electricity, no communication with the outside world and bodies all around them.

Imagine being Palestinian in Australia right now and seeing how some members in this place are responding by bringing motions like this with the purpose of fuelling division and turning people in this State against each other; turning people against those who are coming together in shock and grief to legitimately protest what is happening to their families and their homeland. We do not condemn Israeli Australians coming together to grieve over the attacks of Hamas on Israel. We grieve with them. Our responsibility as politicians should be to work for peace and de-escalation in the region that includes an end to the illegal occupation of Gaza. Yes, we condemn terrorism. Yes, we condemn antisemitism. We also must condemn Islamophobia in the same breath. We need to stop bringing these divisive motions to this Parliament, because what is happening here is fuelling division and actions outside this place. That is why The Greens do not support this motion as it stands.



TEXT OF THE MOTION


The Hon. CHRIS RATH
:
 

(1)That this House condemns antisemitism in all of its forms, including rhetorical or physical incitements of violence.

(2)That this House reaffirms its commitment to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.

(3)That this House condemns the "from the river to the sea" chant displayed at the pro-Palestine rally on Sunday 15 October 2023, which actively rejects the two-state solution and calls for the erasure of the State of Israel.

profile image
Cate Faehrmann
NSW Greens MP
18 October 2023
SHARE:

THE LATEST NEWS

Drug Summit Priorities and Don’t Wait Until Next Year on Pill Testing

Greens MP and drug law reform and harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann will attend the two hearings of the drug summit in Sydney today and tomorrow.

Greens urge Minns to stand up to gambling industry’s predictable outrage over proposed new gaming reforms

The Greens are calling on the Minns Government to ignore the pushback from the gambling industry and commit to a mandatory statewide accounts-based system linked to a person’s identity, which is the key recommendation from the Independent Panel on Gaming Reform’s Roadmap released today.

Decriminalisation, pill testing, drug driving laws must be top of agenda for drug summit

Greens MP and drug law reform and harm reduction spokesperson Cate Faehrmann will attend the Lismore hearing of the drug summit today.  Cate will be pushing for key drug law reform measures as well as investment that reflects the needs of regional New South Wales, including for specialist drug treatment...

Proposed changes to drinking water guidelines for PFAS not low enough: Greens

The NSW Government should be strongly advocating for Australia’s drinking water guidelines to reflect global best practice after draft new guidelines released today still have Australia lagging behind the US on acceptable levels for some ‘forever chemicals’ says Cate Faehrmann, Greens NSW MP and chair of the newly established Upper...


CAMPAIGNS