The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network condemns statements made by former Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, in which he urged philanthropists to defund organisations that are critical of Israel and its genocide in Gaza.
By equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, Andrews seeks to silence legitimate calls for justice and human rights for Palestinians, stifling opposition to Israel’s violent occupation and systemic discrimination.
His mischaracterisation of Israel as a “democracy” attempts to sanitise a regime that enforces deeply entrenched, state-sanctioned discrimination, oppression and violence against Palestinians – policies so egregious that even the world’s highest court has classified them as apartheid.
Andrews’ rainbow-washing of Israel is a tactic designed to divert attention from this rogue state’s brutal mass killings, maiming, collective punishment, manufactured starvation, torture and arbitrary arrest of Palestinians.
His remarks are dangerous and divisive, aiming to punish any expression of solidarity with Palestine. We call on leaders across this continent to reject this racist, colonial logic and to stand firmly for justice, liberation and self-determination for Palestinians.
Efforts to silence criticism or rainbow-wash Israel’s brutal apartheid regime will never obscure the reality of its ongoing genocidal violence against Palestinians.