Last week, on the National Day of Action for Palestine, tens of thousands all over Australia took to the streets to protest against the war in Gaza. Others, like me, wrote letters to politicians, urging them to take the strongest possible actions to help end this conflict. Like many, I am horrified by Israel’s ongoing violent assault and the immense suffering of innocent Palestinians. Nearly half a million civilians now face catastrophic hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness, and death, amongst them many women and children. I grew up in post-war Germany, where in history lessons I was confronted with the darkest legacy of the Nazi regime - the Holocaust. The images of mountains of skeletal bodies discovered by Allied forces in concentration camps have haunted me ever since. It is deeply disturbing, and a cruel twist of history, that the Israeli government is now pursuing a genocide against the Palestinian people. The atrocities unfolding in Gaza are war crimes and crimes against humanity. The international community cannot stand by while Israel’s military kills civilians by the tens of thousands, reduces homes and infrastructure to rubble, obstructs humanitarian aid, and even murders desperate people who fight for survival at aid distribution points. Inaction in the face of such brutality makes us complicit. The standards we walk by are the standards we accept. While the federal government’s recent recognition of the State of Palestine is a welcomed step, it is far from sufficient. I urge our federal government to do everything in their power to: Demand that Israel comply with international law Support accountability mechanisms and all relevant international investigations Suspend all direct and indirect arms transfers to Israel Ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid and protection for civilians Ban trade and economic activity in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Champion a just and lasting peace that ends the occupation and respects Palestinian self-determination. Australia must stand on the right side of history. As a nation, we must act with urgency, courage and conviction. Rita Brademann Numeralla
