More than 200 former and current MPs have signed an open letter urging the Albanese government to call for a “permanent ceasefire” in Gaza.
Several Labor MPs and Senators, including Maria Vamvakinou MP, Senator Louise Pratt and Senator Fatima Payman, were signatories on the letter, deviating from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s position which called for “international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire”.
The letter was co-organised by NSW Labor MP Anthony D’Adam, NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong and the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network and was published on Tuesday.
The letter states that the 200+ signatories, including former NSW Premier Bob Carr, stand with the people of Palestine, Palestinian Australians and the “many Jewish people protesting Israeli violence against Palestinians”.
“We call on the Australian Government to publicly advocate for an immediate permanent ceasefire, to continue to call for the release of all hostages and urge that all parties fully comply with international standards,” the letter read.
The letter acknowledges that the human rights of the people of Palestine have been “grossly violated” since 1948 and the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians. Since 1967, the letter says, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza has resulted in “land theft”, “violence” and “discrimination”.
“The situation is intolerable and to the shame of the international community,” the letter says.
The letter also condemns “the horrific acts of Hamas on 7 October”, which killed up to 1200 Israeli civilians and abducted 240 civilians. The attack sparked Israel’s swift military response, which now enters its 73rd day.
“The deliberate or reckless killing of innocent civilians is never defensible, whatever the context,” the letter says.
Australia’s diplomatic relationship with Israel was also called into question in the letter.
“We call on the Australian Government to examine its relationship with Israel, with a focus on positively contributing to the resolution of this intolerable and dangerous situation that threatens the people of Israel and Palestine and the entire international community,” the letter says.
Several Greens MPs signed on to the letter, including the Greens leader Adam Bandt, Senator Mehreen Faruqi and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young.
The organisers of the letter call on the public to urge their local, state and federal MPs to sign on.
‘Human rights must be respected’
In a statement, NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong and NSW Labor MLC Anthony D’Adam said the open letter adds “hundreds of voices” to the calls for “a just and lasting peace”.
“The horrifying situation unfolding in Gaza requires us to all do whatever we can – big or small to address the situation – we all have an obligation to uphold and respect human rights as well as international law,” Leong and D’Adam’s statement read.
Leong and D’Adam said they also applaud Australia joining 152 states at the United Nations General Assembly, voting in favour of a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“To ensure cohesion and respect in our own communities, we need to recognise that human rights must be respected, to achieve lasting peace in the region we must ensure all parties comply with international law, and are held to account,” their statement read.
‘Sustainable ceasefire’
Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined Canada’s and New Zealand’s Prime Ministers, Justin Trudeau and Christopher Luxon, in a statement calling for “urgent international efforts towards a sustainable ceasefire”.
While the Commonwealth prime ministers were “alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza”, they said the ceasefire “cannot be one-sided”.
“The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians,” the statement read.
“In defending itself, Israel must respect international humanitarian law.”
As incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia continue to arise in Australia and around the world, Albanese, Trudeau and Luxon condemned those who perpetuate “prejudice, hatred and violent extremism” as a result of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Australia, along with 152 nations at the United Nations General Assembly, voted in favour of a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Twenty-three nations abstained from the vote, while ten countries, including Israel, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the US, voted against the resolution.
As of 19 December 2023, according to international news outlet Al Jazeera, 19,754 Palestinians in Gaza, 7,729 of which are children, have been killed since Hamas’ attack on October 7.
PHOTO CREDIT: Instagram @anthony.dadam.mlc