- Critical vote expected on Palestine on Friday 10 May in New York
- Australia must take decisive action to end the appalling genocide – including cutting diplomatic and military ties and the use of sanctions
- Israel must allow aid to flow into Gaza and implement an immediate and permanent ceasefire to enable negotiations for peace for the people of Palestine and Israel to take place.
The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) urges the Australian Government vote Yes to full member status for Palestine at the United Nations expected to take place this Friday in New York.
“The current human catastrophe taking place in Gaza, in particular the relentless assault on, and stopping of aid to Rafah where women, men and children have been seeking safety, must be stopped immediately. The deliberate starving of the people of Gaza must be halted now,” stated Ms Kathryn Kelly, IPAN Spokesperson.
IPAN applauds the Jewish Council of Australia’s call for the ‘Australian Government to demonstrate its commitment to the human rights of Palestinians by voting yes for Palestine to have full member status at the United Nations’. UN membership would be a step towards recognising Palestinian sovereignty and the ability for Palestinians to make decisions for their own destiny.
We also applaud the statement by Max Kaiser, Executive Officer of the JCA, that ‘opposing this genocide is an expression of our Jewishness and an honouring of our ancestors who were victims of genocidal violence.’
“The Australian Government must take concrete and immediate steps such as cutting all military ties with Israel and putting sanctions in place, in order to put immediate pressure on the Israeli Government to end this appalling genocide,” stated Ms Kelly.
Over the years, the UN General Assembly has condemned Israeli military massacres and fundamentalist settler land grabs against Palestinians – but recommendations for sanctions against Israel have been opposed by the by USA, Australia and European countries which support Israel. It is time that such calls for sanctions were heeded.
The majority of Australians (57 per cent) oppose the Israeli military action in Gaza, according to a March 2024 poll done by The Guardian/Essential polling – with 37 per cent wanting a permanent withdrawal and 20 per cent wanting a ceasefire, while only 18 per cent support Israel’s military action in Gaza. This means Australians favour a cessation of IDF hostilities by a 3 to 1 margin.[i]
IPAN urges our Government to call on leaders in the Middle East and across the world to work for an immediate end to hostilities and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from Gaza and for urgent humanitarian aid to be provided to all who need it, with assistance from UN Emergency Peacekeeping Forces. “In addition, it is imperative that the USA stop providing Israel with more than $3 billion in military aid each year”, stated Ms Kelly.
For Media Interviews: Kathryn Kelly 0417 269 984
Media Liaison: Jonathan Pilbrow 0403 611 815
Bio: Kathryn Kelly is a former federal public servant who worked largely in the environment and Aboriginal affairs portfolios. She visited Gaza and the West Bank in 2002 and 2003 and then founded the ‘Australians for Justice and Peace in Palestine’ organisation in Canberra in 2003. Kathryn was a member of the IPAN National Coordinating Committee as an ACT rep, serving from 2013-2023. Kathryn was also a founding co-convenor of the Alliance Against Political Prosecutors until recently, advocating for the truth tellers/whistleblowers – Bernard Collaery, Witness K, Julian Assange, David McBride and Richard Boyle.
[i] https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/12/guardian-essential-poll-38-of-australians-agree-with-paul-keatings-views-on-countrys-position-in-asia