Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi led a protest walk-out by her party during the Senate yesterday’s Question Time at the end of a fire and brimstone speech criticising the government’s position on the Israel-Gaza war.
And here’s what the NSW senator, wearing a keffiyeh as shawl, had to say:
Today, the @Greens proudly brought the people’s protest into Parliament as we boycotted Question Time after Labor refused to call for a ceasefire yet again.
Like millions of Australians, we’re shocked, horrified & angered by Israel’s massacre of almost 10,000 people in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/eJPZcoXndN
— Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) November 6, 2023
The Greens’ Deputy Leader’s profile on X describes Senator Faruqi as a “Feminist and anti-racist, fighting for public education & a just world”.
The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director, Dr Colin Rubenstein, said he was disgusted by the public walk-out and “theatrics” in the federal parliament by the Australian Greens.
“The Australian Greens have already shown with their support for slogans committed to the State of Israel’s destruction like `from the river to the sea’ that they have put themselves outside responsible mainstream political debate.
Make no mistake, the Australian Greens have also effectively denied Israel the right to defend itself against and dismantle the genocidal terrorist movement of Hamas, who have slaughtered more than 1400 people, including babies and grandmothers and taken 240 innocent hostages as well as inflicting misery on Palestinian civilians that they callously abuse as human shields.
The Australian Greens have shown themselves to be in the camp of Israel-haters and not a group that the Jewish people can rely on for political or moral support.
Put simply, the Australian Greens deserve to be condemned.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin added: “The Greens have shown themselves to be the enemies of peace and launderers for antisemites at home and murderous thugs abroad. Their inability to condemn the mass atrocities of October 7 without attempting to justify crimes that no decent person would ever justify destroyed what little human rights credentials they had. Their continued patronage of anti-Israel rallies with their genocidal chants and incitement to violence has endangered Australian Jews and our society. They pose as pacifists but they know that a ceasefire will hand victory to Hamas and encourage more jihadism in the West.”
It’s so important to hear leaders of our Jewish organisations speak out with the candour that Alex Ryvchin and Dr Colin Rubenstein have here. It’s supportive, unifying and empowering. Thank you to both of you.
Senator Faruqi and Green Party colleagues,
I deplore the ghastly tragedy we are witness to and mourn ALL its victims
I equally deplore the barbarism of Hamas jihadists, their murderous invasion of Southern Israel, the thousands of rockets they have fired onto civilian targets, and their aim to wipe Israel off the map?
Can you elucidate your position re the second para above?
Praying for peace
they don’t know the difference between carpet bombing and target bombing .
no one pulled them up on it
ben