Joint Statement: Solidarity with Palestine

This statement has been created by Hue, in collaboration with a range of organisers, in support of Palestine. It has been delivered to the Australian government, specifically the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, to put pressure on them to speak honestly to what is happening and to end the occupation.

“As organisers, campaigners and advocates working towards racial,  social and climate justice, we represent millions of Australians who are passionate about climate justice, First Nations justice, human rights and strong democracy. We are writing to express our concern and horror at the current and brutal scale of colonial violence at the hand of the Israeli occupation.

The genocide declared on Gaza by Israel did not begin on the 7th October 2023. This genocide began in 1948 with the Nakba, where Israel ethnically cleansed one million Palestinians from their land in order to establish the Israeli regime and occupation of Palestine that has continued ever since. 

As people and organisations who have historically supported struggles for liberation, this statement is in solidarity with the thousands of community members who are increasingly taking peaceful action across the country in solidarity with Palestine.

We are calling on the Australian Government to support freedom for Palestine — that means an immediate ceasefire, end to the blockade of Gaza and an end to Israeli occupation, oppression, apartheid and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.  Israel is committing genocide and war crimes by cutting Gaza off from food, medicine, fuel, humanitarian aid supplies, dropping white phosphorus on civilians and bombing hospitals. The power supply to Gaza must be resumed and critical health, water and other infrastructure must be restored immediately. 

It has been deeply shameful and frightening to see Australian politicians refusing to acknowledge the atrocities in Palestine, and instead standing shoulder to shoulder with the Israeli regime. We see the racism that is perpetuated by media and politicians that vilifies Palestinian people and we reject this wholeheartedly.

We would like to amplify the voices and work of Palestinian organisations and campaigns working towards their right of return, an end to the occupation and a free Palestine, including Free Palestine Melbourne, Australia Palestine Advocacy Network,  I Stand with Palestine and Boycott Divest and Sanction Australia.  

We also recognise the role that antisemitism plays in upholding the occupation, silencing Palestinians and contributing to Jewish suffering. We recognise that Judaism and zionism (the colonial ideology underpinning the Israeli regime), are different things. We support the voices and work of anti-zionist Jewish groups working towards peace such as Loud Jew Collective, Tzedek Collective, Jewish Voice of Peace, and Jews against Fascism. 

As organisations operating on stolen lands, waterways and skies — we know the fight for land rights and sovereignty is deeply connected across the globe. We all act in solidarity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our work for racial, social and climate justice, and that solidarity extends to Palestine where people are fighting for their right to peace on their ancestral lands. From the river, to the sea, always was, always will be.

We support demonstrations across the Australian continent for Palestine and ask the Government to call the ongoing and abhorrent violence happening in Palestine as it is: An apartheid regime that is continuing an ethnic cleansing and genocidal colonial project against the Palestinian people in the world’s largest open air prison turned extermination camp, Gaza, and in all the occupied territories. 

We will never accept political restrictions on the right to protest, in the face of global crises such as genocide, climate change, human rights or liberation struggles.”