A Labor senator has demanded the government condemn Israel for “the killing of innocent civilians in Palestine”, accusing the Jewish state of “indiscriminately” attacking Gaza including with controversial white phosphorus munitions.
Western Australian Senator Fatima Payman – a devout Muslim – said Israel had a right to defend itself, but “this cannot equate to the annihilation of Palestinian civilians”.
“Israeli missiles strike residential dwellings, civilians, multistorey apartments, health facilities as well as places of worship, indiscriminately killing men, women and children. We must condemn it,” she told the Senate on Tuesday.
Senator Payman highlighted a Human Rights Watch report – disputed by Israel – accusing Israeli forces of using white phosphorus shells in the conflict, which can cause horrific injuries.
Her comments were the most strident yet by a Labor parliamentarian on the fate of those inside Gaza, and came as three teal MPs lashed fellow independents for joining with the Greens to accuse Israel of war crimes.
Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel, and Allegra Spender moved to disassociate themselves from Kylea Tink and Sophie Scamps, backing Israel’s right to defend itself following the Hamas terrorist attack on the country 10 days earlier.
Ms Spender, who represents a large Jewish population in the NSW seat of Wentworth, said she was concerned about the safety of all civilians, “but in the wake of the Hamas attack, Israel deserves wholehearted support”.
Ms Daniel, the member for Goldstein in Victoria, said: “I disagree emphatically with those who supported the amendment. Among other things, the effect of the amendment would have been to remove support for Israel’s right to self-defence.”
Dr Ryan, who represents the Victorian seat of Kooyong, said she voted “without hesitation” to condemn “Hamas’s massacre of innocent Israelis”.
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry also slammed Ms Tink and Dr Scamps for siding with the Greens, accusing them of a “complete disregard for basic decency, much less the welfare of our community”.
In a letter to the independents, the peak Jewish body said it was “appalled and dismayed” by their response to Labor’s motion to support Israel, which they sought to amend with the Greens.
The Greens’ failed amendment sought to condemn “war crimes perpetrated by the state of Israel, including the bombing of Palestinian civilians”, and called for an immediate ceasefire.
As the government sought to evacuate 45 Australian citizens from Gaza on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong postponed a trip to South Korea with Richard Marles so she could “lead the government’s consular, humanitarian and diplomatic response to the attacks on Israel by Hamas and the ongoing conflict”.
She said the situation in Gaza was “extremely challenging”, and the government was working with Australian families inside the Palestinian enclave to try and get them out. “We support the work of the US, Egypt and others to open the Rafah (border) crossing for humanitarian purposes,” Senator Wong said.
Meanwhile, Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon told the Coalition party room his country faced a war it had not chosen but was “determined to win”. He thanked the opposition for its unequivocal support for Israel and the Jewish community in Australia.
Peter Dutton told parliamentary colleagues the Jewish community in Australia was “under siege”, and the Hamas attack had shocked every Australian.
“The depravity and the scenes that we’ve seen – the hostages, who we still pray for and we hope will be released – all of that sends a very stark reminder to the evil nature of a terrorist organisation,” the Opposition Leader said.
Senator Payman, elected last year, said Labor was right to condemn the Hamas attack on Israel and backed Israel’s “inherent right to defend itself”.
But she added: “The killing of innocent civilians in Palestine should also be condemned, and we must condemn it.”
Senator Payman, 28, whose family comes from Afghanistan, called for an “immediate ceasefire” by Israel to protect Palestinian civilians.
“The price tag of Israel’s right to defend itself cannot be the destruction of Palestine,” she said.
She said the international community “loudly and proudly” condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but watched on now as Palestinians were killed.