More than 50 former and current Labor MPs, including the former foreign affairs minister Bob Carr, have signed a letter condemning Israel’s “domination” of Palestine and demanding Australia recognise Palestine as a state and examine its relationship with Israel.
The letter released on Tuesday morning, initiated by the NSW Labor upper house member Anthony D’Adam and the state Greens MP Jenny Leong, calls for an “immediate, permanent ceasefire and a just and lasting peace” in Gaza, and accused Israel of “grossly” violating human rights law with its ongoing blockade of the besieged strip.
“It is beyond dispute that Israel is committed to policies designed to entrench the domination of one people over another in the territories of Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Attempts to deny this, or smear those who allege it, are an attempt to defy truth and reality,” the letter reads.
“These events and policies have involved the destruction of Palestinian society and the denial of the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
The Labor senators Louise Pratt and Fatima Payman and the long-serving Victorian federal MP Maria Vamvakinou are among the more than 200 former and current elected officials putting their name to the letter.
The signatories comprise more than 100 Greens politicians, including Bob Brown and Adam Bandt, and five Coalition politicians, including former Nationals MP Ken O’Dowd.
The letter, supported by Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, also urges the Australian government to examine its ties with Israel, focusing 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”.
Nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the latest conflict, according to the latest tally by the territory’s health ministry on Monday. About 52,000 people have been injured in that time.
Australia last week shifted its position voting in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and an immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in an emergency session of the UN general assembly.
Australia joined 152 other nations including Canada and New Zealand in voting in favour of the resolution, in a break from the US position, which voted against the motion with nine other nations.
The shift garnered criticism from the opposition and the Israeli embassy in Australia, whose ambassador, Amir Maimon, described it as being “difficult to understand how Australia can support Israel’s right to defend its people from terrorist aggression, while also voting in support of a ceasefire that will embolden Hamas and enable it to resume its attacks on Israelis”.
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Leong and D’Adam in a statement said they welcomed Australia’s change in supporting the UN resolution but urged the Australian government to heed “all of the calls in the statement”.
“The horrifying situation unfolding in Gaza requires us to all do whatever we can, big or small, to address the situation,” they said. “We all have an obligation to uphold and respect human rights as well as international law.
“In initiating this statement and inviting local, state and federal elected representatives to sign on in support, we have added our hundreds of voices to all of those mobilising in communities here and around the world for an immediate, permanent ceasefire and a just and lasting peace.”