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senate vote 2023-12-04#9
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2024-05-22 14:18:02
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Title
Matters of Urgency — Middle East- Matters of Urgency - Middle East - Ceasefire
Description
<p class="speaker">Helen Polley</p><p>The President has received the following letter from Senator McKim today:</p>-
- The majority voted against a [motion](https://www.openaustralia.org.au/senate/?id=2023-12-04.206.2) introduced by Tasmanian Senator [Nick McKim](https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/senate/tasmania/nick_mckim) (Greens), which means it failed.
- ### Motion text
- > *Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the Australian Greens propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:*
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- > *Given the end of the truce in Gaza and the intensification of the State of Israel's bombing in Southern Gaza, the Australian Government must call for an immediate permanent ceasefire to end the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza, for the unconditional release of all hostages and political prisoners and for an urgent end to the siege and invasion of Gaza."*
<p class="italic">Pursuant to standing order 75, I give notice that today the Australian Greens propose to move "That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:</p><p class="italic">Given the end of the truce in Gaza and the intensification of the State of Israel's bombing in Southern Gaza, the Australian Government must call for an immediate permanent ceasefire to end the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza, for the unconditional release of all hostages and political prisoners and for an urgent end to the siege and invasion of Gaza."</p><p>Is consideration of the proposal supported?</p><p class="italic"> <i>More than the number of senators required by the standing orders having risen in their places—</i></p><p>With the concurrence of the Senate, the clerks will set the clock in line with informal arrangements made by the whips.</p> <p class="speaker">Jordon Steele-John</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That, in the opinion of the Senate, the following is a matter of urgency:</p><p class="italic">Given the end of the truce in Gaza and the intensification of the State of Israel's bombing in Southern Gaza, the Australian Government must call for an immediate permanent ceasefire to end the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza, for the unconditional release of all hostages and political prisoners and for an urgent end to the siege and invasion of Gaza.</p><p>On Friday, with the expiry of the temporary truce, the State of Israel's military recommenced its offensive in Gaza. As of this morning, 15,523 Palestinians have been killed and 41,316 wounded since 7 October. More than 700 deaths have been recorded in Gaza in the past 24 hours alone. Thousands lie under the rubble, and 85 per cent of the population of Gaza is now confirmed as displaced.</p><p>Many of Gaza's 2.3 million people are now crammed into the south, after the State of Israel ordered civilians to leave the north in the early days of the invasion. There were no fewer than 127 incidents involving explosive weapons within the so-called safe zone in the first week after the State of Israel's warning to move south on 14 October.</p><p>And now the State of Israel is continuing to push civilians from the north to the south and yet, at the same time, they are dropping leaflets indicating that their next target is Khan Yunis, a city in the south of Gaza. This Senate can be under no illusion: nowhere is safe in Gaza. These are the words of the UNICEF representatives speaking to the world in the past 48 hours: 'This is the worst bombardment of the war right now in the south of Gaza. I have seen massive child casualties. We have a final warning to save children and our collective conscience. I feel like I am running out of ways to describe the horrors hitting children here. I feel like I am almost failing in my ability to convey the endless killing of children here.'</p><p>People in Gaza are literally begging for governments like this Labor government to notice their humanity. They are begging for their right to survive. They are begging to have access to and recognition of their basic human rights and the necessities that we all take for granted. They are fighting for their own lives while trying to share what is happening in Gaza all so that people in positions of power, like Australia's Prime Minister and foreign minister, may take from their suffering a little bit of their courage and their humanity and finally call for a permanent ceasefire.</p><p>This entrapment of innocent lives within a small space which the State of Israel's military continues to perpetrate only to then bomb those civilians can have only one result: mass civilian casualties. The dehumanising language that many senior ministers in the State of Israel have used can only further the understanding that, to them, this is acceptable. Dropping leaflets and giving evacuation warnings are offensive distractions from the reality that the policies of the State of Israel have no regard to the right of Palestinians to live.</p><p>Every member of this Senate knows the basic truth that, in Gaza, there is nowhere safe to go. The only choice left to us is whether to speak that truth or hide from it. The Greens call on the Senate once again to engage with that truth and to speak it, to uphold humanitarian law and to listen to those UN experts who are calling on the global community to recognise the very real risk of genocide and of ethnic cleansing in Palestine at the hands of the Israeli state. We must speak truth in this moment, in the name of humanity, and call for a ceasefire now.</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>I am going to read out this matter of public urgency that has been lodged by the Greens:</p><p class="italic">Given the end of the truce in Gaza and the intensification of the State of Israel's bombing in Southern Gaza, the Australian Government must call for an immediate permanent ceasefire to end the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in Gaza, for the unconditional release of all hostages and political prisoners and for an urgent end to the siege and invasion of Gaza</p><p>This is where the Greens are at their absolute worst. The ceasefire came about because Israel sat down and tried to do a deal with Hamas for the release of hostages, over 240 hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October, a date that will live in infamy for the State of Israel and for all of those who believe in free Liberal democracies, when terrorists pushed through the border and invaded Israel, a free country, and murdered over 1,200 free people living in Israel.</p><p>Not only was there murder and assaults; we saw sexualised violence being used against Israelis, where people were sexually assaulted and then murdered, where people were raped and then murdered. But you don't hear the Greens talking about the sexualised violence that was used against Israeli citizens.</p><p>The ceasefire ended because Hamas broke the terms of the ceasefire by failing to release the list of names of hostages, and then started bombing, again, innocent Israeli citizens. The only way to end this war is for Hamas, who are a terrorist organisation, to release the hostages. The release of some hostages is just a tiny reminder of the torture that Hamas has inflicted on hundreds of families, on millions of Israelis, on hundreds of millions of people around this world who believe in freedom and liberty and who are suffering because of the actions of a terrorist organisation.</p><p>It is so sad that, in Australia, we have supporters of Hamas, like those people who invaded the hotel in Melbourne last week, targeting the families of hostages—families who were in this building last week, families who were out the front of this Australian Parliament House, families who met with members and senators to talk about their stories such as the mum whose son was murdered. These Hamas supporters in Australia think it is perfectly acceptable to invade a hotel and attack people through that invasion.</p><p>We use this word 'antisemitism', and I'm going to call it out for what it is. Antisemitism does not get down to the nuts and bolts of what is ascribed to antisemitism. If you are antisemitic you are anti-Jew, and we've got to call that out. The actions of those protesters in Melbourne last week were anti-Jewish. The actions of Hamas are anti-Jewish. But we shouldn't be surprised that the Greens are like this. We should not forget that Senator Faruqi, the Deputy Leader of the Greens in this chamber, put on Instagram a photo of her standing beside someone holding a sign saying, 'Keep the world clean of Jews'. This is the Greens for you—a party who thinks it's acceptable to put signs like that on social media. Shame on the Greens!</p> <p class="speaker">Jess Walsh</p><p>Resume your seat, Senator McGrath. Senator Waters?</p> <p class="speaker">Larissa Waters</p><p>Senator Faruqi took down that photograph and apologised for it being posted. I think the record needs to accurately reflect what occurred.</p> <p class="speaker">Jess Walsh</p><p>I think that has been noted previously in the chamber.</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>Senator Faruqi put a sign up on her Instagram saying, 'Clean the world of Jews'. Shame on the Greens! Shame on Senator Faruqi!</p> <p class="speaker">Jess Walsh</p><p>Senator McCarthy.</p><p>Resume your seat, Senator McCarthy. Senator Steele-John?</p> <p class="speaker">Jordon Steele-John</p><p>Senator McGrath just uttered the most disgusting accusation of myself and my colleagues in relation to antisemitism. I can't repeat what he just said. He must withdraw. I have never heard anything like that in my life.</p> <p class="speaker">Jess Walsh</p><p>Senator Steele-John, I was just getting ready to move the call and—Senator McGrath?</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>I withdraw.</p> <p class="speaker">Jess Walsh</p><p>Senator McCarthy.</p><p>No, no, no.</p><p>Senator McGrath, leave the chamber in silence.</p><p>Leave the chamber in silence.</p> <p class="speaker">Malarndirri McCarthy</p><p>I call on all senators to remember that our words in this place matter and that they impact all of those Australians out there who are feeling very mixed feelings, from both sides of this horrific conflict that's taking place in the Middle East. It does not do this Senate any good to bring in here that kind of discussion and personal attacks on other senators.</p><p>Australia deeply regrets that hostilities have resumed in Gaza and the immense human suffering that continues. The recent pause allowed for the release of 105 hostages, the protection of civilians and a much-needed increase in critical humanitarian supplies at such an important time. I thank Senator McKim for bringing this motion on, because we need to be able to continue to recognise what is going on in the Middle East. Australia wants to see this support of humanitarian supplies continue. We continue to call for hostages to be released, for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access and, of course, for the protection of civilian lives—men, women and children. We are urging all parties to exercise restraint, respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians, and we must ultimately work towards a long-term, enduring peace. The government has called for Israel to honour its commitment to uphold international law and protect innocent lives. We've called on Israel to protect hospitals, medical staff and patients, and we have said Israel must conduct its military operations lawfully. We also call for safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access and safe passage for civilians. Even before these recent hostilities resumed, suffering continued, particularly in Gaza. UNICEF have said:</p><p class="italic">Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children. It's a living hell for everyone else.</p><p>As this conflict continues, we must remember a child is a child and they should be protected, no matter who or where they are.</p><p>The peace we all want to see requires a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living securely and prosperously within internationally recognised borders. Australia has been working with countries, and I commend Senator Wong for the work that she's doing in this area. She's working with those countries that have influence in the region to help protect and support civilians, to help prevent the conflict from spreading and to reinforce the need for the just and enduring peace that all of us want.</p><p>I'd also like to just reach out to my constituents in the Northern Territory. I've sat down and met with members from the Palestinian community and also from the Jewish community. I know how distressing this is, and we all do. I have no doubt that every single senator and every member of parliament has heard stories from people that they're close to and also from their own constituents, and I thank them for the work that they're doing to try to bring about greater peace and understanding in both of those areas. Thank you. We are certainly making sure that our government is listening to the calls that you are making in the Northern Territory.</p><p>We all understand how distressing these events are. There are people who've lost family, people who've lost friends and people who feel so deeply about these issues, and these are traumatic images, with the loss of life. We must all work to ensure that distress does not turn into hate and anger. There is, of course, no place for violence, antisemitism, racism or Islamophobia here in Australia. I would remind senators that we have our own domestic issues here too as far as these issues are concerned. Our language matters. The way we pursue peace in our own country, amongst the many diverse groups that we have, is absolutely critical, and it's the same thing that we want to see in the Middle East.</p> <p class='motion-notice motion-notice-truncated'>Long debate text truncated.</p>-
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