The Australian Labor Party will debate recognition of the State of Palestine at the upcoming NSW Labor State Conference, scheduled for 27 and 28 July at Sydney Town Hall. This State Conference will provide another forum for Labor members to consider, discuss and push for recognition of the State of Palestine in spite of pressure from right wing and Israel lobbyists.
The rising tide of rank-and-file Labor support for recognition will move the Labor government a little closer to a decision to recognise the state of Palestine. Australian public awareness of the plight and right of the Palestinian people coupled with the united stance of the pro Palestine Australian Arab/Islamic communities and the overwhelming rank and file Labor support, amongst Labor Friends of Palestine, Arabic Friends of Labor, other Labor movements and broader Australian community support will prevail and, I trust, that Labor will once again push for immediate recognition of Palestine.
I have faith in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Albanese Labor Government to take that historic decision. In view of current polls, the Prime Minister understands the electoral power of the millions of Australians that support a just solution for the people of Palestine. Prime Minister Albanese and his government understand the urgency amongst electors to recognise Palestine as a state now. He understands a united stance by Australians including the Arab/ Islamic communities across Australia will have significant impact on the outcome of the next federal elections. This, the Australian Labor Party will not ignore, particularly in the face of the growing numbers of Arab Islamic communities expressing support for the Greens and other independent movements. The constituency out there is eager and ready to cast its vote.
The Australian Labor Party cannot ignore the thousands of rank-and-file members and the hundreds of branches across NSW who have expressed their support for peace and justice for the Palestinian people and the need for Australia to recognise the state of Palestine. Nor will Labor ignore the vast rank and file unionised workers, Unionists for Palestine and Union Students for Palestine, who are solidly against illegal occupation of Palestinian land, Israel’s ‘plausible’ war crimes in Gaza as considered and determined by the International Court of Justice, (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court, the ICC.
Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestinian territories, against international law and in breach of many resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations, has been exposed.
Australians and members of the Australian Labor Party are no longer mere observers. The awakening of public opinion as a result of social media cannot be subdued or ignored. Nor can 8 months of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza with more than 40,000 innocent civilians killed, including 15,000 children, thousands of others under the rubble and nearly 80,000 plus injured and tens of thousands imprisoned, use of a policy of forced starvation and the use of illegal phosphorous weapons in Gaza and South Lebanon are there for all to see.
Labor Senator Fatima Payman’s, decision to vote her conscience in the eyes of millions of Australians is courageous and justified. Her stance has received significant support from rank-and-file Labor members as well as community organisations who see her vote for recognition of Palestine as being consistent with Labor Party policy. The number of supportive statements published by Arab and Islamic umbrella community organisations across Australia cannot be ignored.
I believe recognition of the state of Palestine shall happen but can only happen with Albanese Labor in government. That is our best chance. To ensure this happens soon and before the next elections, the combined internal Labor and Union rank and file and external community electoral pressure, is a must in bringing our Labor government into line with the 145 nations that have already recognised Palestine as a sovereign state.
Republished from AMUST on June 30, 2024.
Shaoquett Chaher Moselmane is an Australian politician who has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2009 and is a member of the parliamentary Australian Labor Party until suspended in June 2020. He was assistant president of the Legislative Council from May 2019 to April 2020.