In a letter to Labor leaders in NSW, more than 60 community organisations pledged their full support to the Sydney Statement on Anti-Palestinianism.   The statement was crafted by the Arab Australian Federation in response to the incessant violations by Israel of the Palestinian people’s human, political, economic and national rights under international law, including their right to self-determination and nationhood.  In addition to broadly identifying some real abuses suffered by the Palestinian people, this statement upholds and encourages advocacy of Palestine and for the lives of Palestinians. It does so by opening up and protecting the space for people to speak about oppression; and to legitimately confront the oppressors without being hindered by contrived charges of anti-Semitism.

The statement on combatting Anti-Palestinianism quotes non-violent means and international law and is based on “a just and lasting peace between the parties.”  Former Foreign Minister Gareth Evans said of our statement, “Its eight principles are all expressed with restraint, seem to me unarguable, and are consistent with the ALP’s support for Palestinian statehood.”

The majority of the Arab Australian community, including the Palestinian community, have consistently supported the ALP on grounds of social justice and the hope is that, one day, the ALP would do justice to the Palestinian cause. This second issue is at the heart of the aspirations of the Arab community. It is important here to stress that the community is cognisant and appreciative of the fact that the ALP had resolved to recognise the State of Palestine, when in government, and to criticise some Israeli practices in the occupied land. 

In fact, the Labor Party adopted a very important resolution at its national conference in 2018 to recognise the State of Palestine in the first year of an elected Labor government.  This was a landmark party policy position re-affirmed at the most recent national conference.  It was the efforts and cooperation of committed members that made this part of the Party platform possible.   The community expects this from a party committed to social justice and frankly long overdue, said the letter.

The signatories expressed their appreciation to the ALP for re-affirming its prior resolution on the recognition of the state of Palestine.  “Embedding this resolution into the ALP Policy Platform is a landmark stance reaffirming the ALP’s commitment to International Law and its support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the establishment of an independent sovereign Palestinian state”.

“We were concerned that supporters of Israel were celebrating that the last NSW ALP Conference endorsed a statement on anti-Semitism known as the IHRA Statement”.  Six of the 11 examples of anti-Semitism it uses are criticisms of Israel.  In other words, it attempts to stop criticism of Israel settlement expansion and Apartheid laws by defining them as Anti-Semitic. 

After the conference Members of the Federation raised this issue with Labor leaders and some conference delegates and were told they could not recall this motion being moved and seconded.  They could not recall a vote.  If they had they would have been able to question it, they said.  “We know that Liberal and progressive Jewish people in the United States, Israel and Australia are critical of this IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.  These views could not be expressed at the conference.  Nor were we given an opportunity to put forward our own statement known as the Sydney Statement on Anti-Palestinianism”.

We are happy to put forward the Sydney Statement on Anti-Palestinianism to be adopted by Labor at its next state conference.  We would be happy with an open debate on this issue.

Click here for a copy of the Sydney Statement on Anti-Palestinianism

www.arabfederation.org.au/Statement