Correction: The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network would like to issue a correction to its media release, “Flood of Australian political leaders join call for permanent ceasefire and recognition of Palestine as Gaza onslaught continues” (issued 8.1.24). Due to an unfortunate administrative error, the name of Dr Sophie Scamps was included as a signatory to this statement. Dr Scamps was not a signatory to this statement and her name has been removed from the official document. You can find below a corrected version of this release.
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Political pressure on the Albanese Government is growing, with 317 Australian political leaders, including a large number of serving Labor federal, state and territory MPs, having now joined former Foreign Ministers Bob Carr and Gareth Evans in demanding a permanent ceasefire and Australian diplomatic recognition of the state of Palestine.
The political leaders calls are made in a statement for current and former elected representatives, instigated by NSW MPs Jenny Leong and Anthony D’Adam, that was first released in late December 2023 with the signatures of 200 political leaders.
It calls out Israeli “domination” of the Palestinian people and the long history of ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses that have marked the establishment and maintenance of the Israeli state.
It further calls for a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and for the Albanese Government to join 139 nation-states across the globe in recognising the state of Palestine.
Such recognition is enshrined in the Federal Labor platform and these calls from within and without the Labor Party will increase pressure on the Prime Minister to act on his own party's platform.
The flood of 119 new signatories since the statement was first released includes those of:
Federal Labor MPs Graham Perrett and Mary Doyle
NSW Labor MPs Janelle Saffin and Kylie Wilkinson, NSW Liberal MP Tina Ayyad and key NSW upper house crossbencher Emma Hurst.
Queensland Labor MPs James Martin and Melissa McMahon
South Australian Labor MPs Tony Piccolo, Mira El Dannawi, Lucy Hood, Sarah Andrews, Nadia Clancy and Erin Thompson
Victorian Labor MP Katie Hall
West Australian MP Klara Andric
ACT Labor MP Michael Petterson
Tasmanian Labor MP Michelle O’Byrne
In total 37 currently serving state and federal Labor MPs from across Australia have now signed.
These new signatories mean five federal Labor MPs in total have broken ranks and called on their own government to fundamentally change its policy position on Palestine (Maria Vanvakinou, Graham Perrett, Mary Doyle, Louise Pratt and Fatima Payman) and that 22 current members of the Federal Parliament in total have made the same demands.
Further, a total of 86 current state and territory MPs have now joined the call.
The statement remains open for signatures from elected representatives, current and former, from all levels of government. Read the complete list of current signatories here.
Quotes attributable to Australia Palestine Advocacy Network President Nasser Mashni:
“For 93 days, the Australian Government has offered nothing but feeble calls for ‘restraint’ from the Israeli Government, and for 93 days, the Israeli Government has ignored these calls and committed genocide in Gaza.
“This statement from elected representatives represents steadily mounting political pressure for the government to act with moral integrity and authority and use all tools at its disposal to hold Israel to account for its genocide in Palestine.
“The community will not tolerate anything less than an immediate ceasefire, an end to occupation, apartheid and genocide, and a political resolution that guarantees justice and self-determination to the Palestinian people.
“I am heartened by the groundswell and activation of the community on this issue and feel sure this will translate into real political consequences for elected representatives who have shown themselves unwilling to take a stand against this genocide.”
About us:
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) works for Australian policy that supports Palestinian human rights, justice, and equality.
Contact details:
Lauren Salathiel
Political engagement and media lead
0491 941 253
lauren@apan.org.au