Greens Deputy Leader and International Aid and Global Justice Spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has stated that while the Albanese Government’s decision to provide an additional $10 million in aid to Gaza is a positive development, it must be accompanied by more long term aid funding to UNRWA and critically, sanctions on Israel.
Senator Mehreen Faruqi:
“More aid funding for Gaza, where so many Palestinians have endured months of genocidal violence by Israel and are facing a deliberate famine, is the bare minimum.
“More aid funding won’t compensate for the fact that the Albanese Government is complicit in Israel’s genocide and has failed to impose a single consequence on Israel for its horrific slaughter of 36,000 Palestinians.
“The Albanese Government merely calling on Israel to stop blocking aid is not good enough. We need actual sanctions, not more flimsy calls and weasel words that the genocidal state of Israel will inevitably ignore.
“Labor needs to show real leadership and take tangible action like backing South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel and ending the two-way arms trade with Israel.
“We must not forget that Labor abruptly suspended aid funding to UNRWA, without a shred of evidence and has yet to apologise for that reckless and dangerous decision and must increase funding to UNRWA.”