Parliamentarians Speaking up for Palestine November 2022

These parliamentarians have stood up for Palestine this month, joining the UN Day of Solidarity for the Palestinian People.

Click here to see a full record of all mentions of Palestine in the Australian federal parliament in the last decade.

Alicia Payne MP. Labor Federal member for Canberra
Parliamentary speech, noting Palestinians still 21% of refugees are Palestinians and speaking for Mohammed El Halabi (video/text)
“We must not forget the plight of the Palestinian people”
[email protected]

Andrew Wilkie MP, Independent Federal member for Clark
Parliamentary speech noting children’s deaths by Israeli forces, and UN reports calling Israeli occupation illegal and apartheid (video/text)
“It’s time for Australia and the world to scale-up our response to this horrific situation”
[email protected]

Senator Anne Urquhart, Labor Senator for Tasmania
Attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event & gave a speech honouring Shireen Abu Akleh and all those killed by Israeli forces (video/text)
“Military occupations are inherently brutal, but they are never supposed to be permanent. Military occupations must be opposed, whether in Ukraine or in Palestine. A recent report by the UN commission of inquiry found that the Israeli occupation is unlawful under international law”.
[email protected]

Senator Fatima Payman, Labor Senator for Western Australia
Gave parliamentary speech focusing on treatment of Palestinian children in military courts, telling story of Shadi Khoury  (video/text)
“Israel is the only country in the world that systemically prosecutes children in military courts that lack fundamental fair-trial rights and protections.”
[email protected]

Senator Steele-John, Greens Senator for Western Australia & Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs
Attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event and shared on his Twitter.
“Self-determination, peace and justice for Palestinians must be a global priority.”
[email protected]

Max Chandler-Mather MP, Greens Federal member for Griffith
Gave parliamentary speech quoting UN Special Rapporteur’s report calling for a reorientation towards a decolonisation, not a negotiations framework (text/video)
“the only conclusion is that the Israeli state is undertaking a settler-colonial regime, including implementing apartheid policies…we cannot ignore the fact that the Israeli state has been an intentionally acquisitive, segregationist and repressive regime which has for 55 years enabled the disenfranchisement of the Palestinians”.
[email protected]

Graham Perrett MP, Labor Federal member for Moreton
Gave Parliamentary speech (text/video), Tweeted UNSG’s comments, and attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event. 
“Palestinians deserve a future of hope and that their tomorrow be better than their today”
[email protected]

Senator Allman-Payne, Greens Senator for Queensland
Retweeted Senator Farqui’s speech, and shared Max Chandler-Mather’s speech on Facebook.
“End the occupation. End the human rights abuses. Justice for Palestine.”
[email protected]

Tony Zappia MP, Labor Federal member for Makin
Gave two speeches for Palestine. One honouring Melissa Parke receiving the Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize (text) and another noting the UN special rapporteur’s report (video/text). He also attended the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event.
“the Palestinian people face everyday struggles for survival, the loss of land, human rights violations and oppression.”
[email protected]

Tony Piccolo, Labor State member for Light, SA
Moved and spoke to a motion in the South Australian lower house endorsing the principles in the Sydney Statement on anti-Palestinianism and calling on the Australian Government to acknowledge the right of Palestinians to self-determination as provided for by international law”. (video/text)
“The Palestinian people are oppressed in their own country. They are not the aggressors who have gone to a third country…Sadly, there are some similarities between what happened in Australia with the colonisation of Australia and in terms of Palestine. There was a presumption that you could just carve up the land because there were no people there, and that was part of the assumption of the UN plan, quite incorrectly”.
[email protected]

Irene Pnevmatikos, Labor Member of the SA Legislative Council.
Moved and spoke to a motion in the South Australian upper house endorsing the principles in the Sydney Statement on anti-Palestinianism and calling on the Australian Government to acknowledge the right of Palestinians to self-determination as provided for by international law”. (video)
“Israel continues to build settlements on occupied territory, further undermining any endeavours for a solution”
[email protected]

Steve Georganas, Labor Federal Member for Adelaide
Attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event.
[email protected]

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Greens Senator for New South Wales.
Wore a Keffiyeh for the entire day in Parliament. Delivered speech for the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people (video/text).
What is happening in Palestine is this: Israel is committing the crime of apartheid…The Australian government must loudly call out every injustice committed and firmly resist Israel’s attempts to whitewash its crimes
[email protected]

Susan Templeman MP, Federal Member for Macquarie
Delivered petition regarding Shadi Khouri and Palestinian children prisoners to the Foreign Minister, posting about it on Instagram and Twitter; and attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event.
[email protected]

Senator David Shoebridge, Greens Senator for New South Wales.
Delivered speech for the UN Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people highlighting the racist new Israeli parliament (video/text, NB video doesn’t include whole speech).
“For decades now, Australia has been telling Palestinians to negotiate with Israel and to be a partner for peace. Let’s take a moment to reflect on who the Palestinians have been asked to negotiate with now. Israel has just elected its most far-right government in history, and that’s saying something”.
[email protected]

Mark Coulton MP, Nationals Federal Member for Parkes
Co-convenor of Federal Parliamentary Friends of Palestine. He hosted event in parliament house and posted about it on Facebook & Instagram
“Australia and the international community must do what we can to support the Palestinian people, who are persecuted on a daily basis. We cannot let this suppression and violence continue.  I stand with the Palestinian people today, and every day”.
[email protected]

Sussan Ley MP, Liberal Member for Farrer and Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event, staying for entire event even though she didn’t have a seat.
[email protected]

Maria Vamvakinou MP, Federal Labor member for Calwell
Gave two speeches for Palestine. One honouring Melissa Parke receiving the Jerusalem (Al Quds) Peace Prize (video/text) and another noting the Parliamentary Event (video/text). She also co-convenes the Federal Parliamentary Friends of Palestine.
“In line with the commitment of the United Nations to this issue, the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to a state, must be recognised and realised”.
[email protected]

Senator Janet Rice, Greens Senator for Victoria
Co-convenes Parliamentary Friends of Palestine and shared her speech at the event on Instagram and Facebook), she called on Australia to be stronger and take more definitive action, to Recognise Palestine and working for justice and peace and ending the Israeli occupation.
[email protected]

Julian Hill MP, Labor Federal Member for Bruce
Retweeted UN Secretary General’s message, calling for support for Palestinian People.
[email protected]

Adam Bandt MP, Greens Federal Member for Melbourne and Leader of the Australian Greens
Tweeted and shared on Facebook a message of solidarity
“We reaffirm our & the UN’s calls to end the Occupation and end the human rights abuses. It’s time for justice for Palestinians.”
[email protected]

Minister Andrew Giles, Labor Federal Member for Scullin and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship & Multicultural Affairs
Attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event.
[email protected]

Assistant Minister Ged Kearney, Labor Federal Member for Cooper and Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care
Attended Parliamentary Friends of Palestine event.
[email protected]