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’.
Senator BIRMINGHAM (South Australia—Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) (12:12): 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—
Senator Thorpe interjecting—
Senator BIRMINGHAM: including the chanting of the slogan being said in the chamber right now.
The PRESIDENT: Resume your seat, Senator Birmingham. This is a divisive debate, like many debates in this place. There is to be silence. Senator Birmingham is entitled to put his motion in silence and that is what we will have. I remind senators that we are now at 12.15, which is the hard marker, as you know, but I understand that we will go beyond that by leave.
Senator BIRMINGHAM: Antisemitism manifests itself in many ways. Attacks are often made via expressions of hatred, via threats, via intimidation. These include the use of chants and phrases like calls for intifada and the chant ‘from the river to the sea’. We have seen in our country, as in far too many other places around the world, the increasing use of these chants and phrases. Let us be very clear: they call for violence and they stand against the existence of the state of Israel.
Senator Thorpe interjecting—
The PRESIDENT: Senator Thorpe, if you continue, I will withdraw the call from you. I’ve asked you to be quiet. I have asked for respectful silence in a chamber. I appreciate there are different views. There are many opportunities for you in this place to put your view, not now.
Senator BIRMINGHAM: Such chants and phrases have no place in the type of political debate we should wish to see in our country, nor in the expression of free will that we should encourage and enable in our country. They have no place because of the way in which they are used to encourage division, to inflame hatred, and through acts of antisemitism.
We should, we must, stand against antisemitism in all of its forms. That includes the requirement to stand against the use of language that fuels, drives and underpins antisemitism. The coalition is very clear in our position in relation to this, and we have been very clear since the horrific attacks of 7 October, that the rise in antisemitism has been one of the most profound and concerning aspects of the reaction to those attacks and to the consequential war that has been undertaken.
Tragically, we saw antisemitic acts within hours of the 7 October attacks. We saw them on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. We’ve seen them subsequently in motorcades and protests deliberately targeting suburbs known to have higher Jewish populations, deliberately targeting places of worship and congregation. These are deliberate acts to intimidate Jewish Australians.
Senator McKenzie interjecting—
The PRESIDENT: Sorry, Senator Birmingham. I am very reluctant to interrupt the opposition leader when he is on his feet. I called for silence. That goes for every single senator in this place. If you can’t hold your silence, I’d ask you to respectfully leave the chamber.
Senator BIRMINGHAM: These have been deliberate acts of intimidation against Jewish Australians. They have been deliberate acts of antisemitism. They have been acts that have put a stain upon our nation and our nation’s reputation for inclusivity and tolerance and for being a nation that stands strongly against antisemitism.
We should have seen stronger leadership. We should have seen more forceful responses to these acts as they came. Had we seen that in the early days, perhaps we could have avoided some of the consequential impacts in the months that followed. We have seen not just a rise in protests—calling for peace or ceasefire or expressing a view about the actions of the Israeli government—but also a continuous rise in antisemitism in the targeting of Jewish Australians. The impact of that is that there are too many Australians of Jewish background who now go about their lives in Australia in a state of fear. They fear for their safety. They fear for the safety of their communities. They fear congregating in their synagogues. They fear for their children when they wear their school uniforms going to or from their schools. Such fear should have no existence in our country—no place, tolerance or acceptance. It should not exist at all. The fact that it does requires and demands the strongest possible action and leadership.
The phrases I’ve highlighted today are ones that have not just been uttered in protests. They’ve not just been uttered in rallies. They’ve not just been uttered in the types of unacceptable gatherings—they’re calling them protests—at universities around the country or in other places. But, indeed, ‘from the river to the sea’ has been accepted and even said by members of the government. That is why we are very clear in putting this motion to the Senate, supporting and highlighting the responses the Prime Minister has given. We wish he had given these responses proactively, not reactively. We wish that he would show leadership in responding and dealing to the use of such phrases that fuel and drive antisemitism. But that leadership has been lacking.
We call on the Prime Minister to take appropriate action and ensure members of his government and his party do not act in ways and repeat phrases that incite and fuel hatred or antisemitism or are used by those who incite and fuel hatred or antisemitism. It is totally unacceptable for Mr Albanese to escape scrutiny or to evade responsibility for the use of such phrases and actions. To say that he hasn’t spoken about or acted upon such use is a failure of leadership. Mr Albanese, consistent with what he has said publicly, should act in relation to the use of such phrases.
Ultimately, as we have been clear, we call on all senators to engage in debates and commentary respectfully. The Senate has said this before, and it is sad that we must say it again. But we say it because it is critical that all of us think about our responsibility to ensure that we act in ways that give all Australians the right to feel safe. Right now, Jewish Australians do not. The government needs to take stronger action and Mr Albanese needs to show greater leadership to ensure that they do.