AUSTRALIA: The Australian Parliament has condemned hate speech, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, and urged the nation to resist division. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized Hamas for mass murder, citing rising Israeli and Gaza deaths and Australian concerns about spillover tensions.
Although the prime minister acknowledged Israel’s right to self-defence, he urged the Netanyahu administration to “operate by the rules of war” in light of the growing likelihood of an impending ground campaign in Gaza.
A motion condemning all types of hate speech in Australia passed the House of Representatives with 134 votes in favour, with four Greens MPs abstaining due to the inability to add a line denouncing “war crimes perpetrated by the state of Israel” and seeking “an end to Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories”.
Greens leader Adam Bandt warned the motion could be interpreted as supporting Israel’s actions. Australia must join the fight against the Israeli invasion, according to Bandt. He argued that the situation is moving beyond self-defence and is now an invasion.
Albanese and MPs denounced antisemitic shouts by pro-Palestine demonstrators in front of the Sydney Opera House. However, tensions increased as opposition leader Peter Dutton recited his speech’s condemnation of them.
“They shouted with words that we should never hear in our country or anywhere else in the civilised world,” Dutton added.
The antisemitic chants were “beyond offensive” and a “betrayal of our Australian values,” Albanese added.
Albanese emphasized the need for unity among lawmakers in denouncing the Hamas attacks and called them an act of terror.
He reassured Jewish Australians that they were not alone, as the Australian people supported them. Dutton declared that he speaks for every member of the House when he condemns hateful prejudice.
The motion’s 16 points acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself. It also added that Hamas doesn’t represent Palestinians nor their “legitimate needs and aspirations”.
It supports justice and freedom for both groups, acknowledges the tragic loss of life, and supports safe passage into Gaza for international aid initiatives.
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