Labor MP breaks ranks on Gaza

Federal Labor MP Fatima Payman has labelled Israel’s actions against Hamas in Gaza a genocide.

The hijab wearing Muslim Senator from Western Australia who was born in Afghanistan, has told journalists “Instead of advocating for justice, I see our leaders performatively gesture defending the oppressor’s right to oppress, while gaslighting the global community about the rights of self-defence. My conscience has been uneasy for far too long and I must call this out for what it is”.

She ended her remarks by repeating the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be a free”, an implicit call for the destruction of Israel.

She’s been criticised by her own PM, with Anthony Albanese saying it’s not appropriate for her to use the slogan.

He said “What’s appropriate is a two-state solution, where both Israelis and Palestinians have the right to live in security, in peace and in prosperity. It is not in the interests of either Israelis or Palestinians to advocate there just be one state”.

Other senior Labor people are reportedly also distancing themselves from her remarks.

Paymans’ comments come as the federal Senate voted 56 – 12 to condemn the use of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.

Labor supported a Coalition motion which stated that the slogan opposes Israel’s right to exist and is used by people who seek to intimidate Jewish Australians.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin said “From the river” is an old Arab supremacist slogan calling for the destruction of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of its Jewish population.

“The Senator should immediately apologise for stoking hatred in such a vile way. If she can’t refrain from using racist slogans at a time of extreme tension in our society, she should consider her position.”

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson believes Senator Payman’s use of the slogan constitutes a very serious test of the Prime Minister’s leadership.

“Senator Payman has repeated a phrase and endorsed a phrase that the Prime Minister has said is a violent statement that has no place in our country.

In doing so, she has outed herself as an opponent to a two-state solution and peace in the Middle East, and demonstrated she’s an advocate of a one-state solution” Paterson said.