Dear Minister Wong,
Re: Genocide in Palestine
I am writing to you due to the urgency of the current situation in Gaza.
Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian territories for 75 years, and its ongoing oppression and attempted genocide of the Palestinian people is now culminating in the direct and deliberate killing of innocent civilians in the current war.
The UN has already made clear that Israel has committed war crimes through unlawful attacks, including indiscriminate attacks, causing mass civilian casualties, including of many children, as well as committing the war crime of collective punishment through its siege of Gaza.
I urge you to take direct action, demanding that the occupying state of Israel honour the international call for an immediate ceasefire and allow water, food, medical supplies and aid to reach the survivors in Gaza.
I further urge you to instate a weapons embargo on Israel, stop all military trade with Israel and issue no permits for defence exports until at least a year after the end of the current conflict.
I also ask you to consider imposing economic sanctions on Israel to further build the pressure.
More than 32,000 constituents have contacted my office and my staff and volunteers have spoken to me, being distressed by the current situation and asking for help to end this war as well as the underlying brutal land theft and collective punishment of Palestinian people. Further to my speech delivered to the Senate on 16th October 2023, I write to you now and remind you, as a Sovereign Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman, that I understand all too well the plight of the Palestinian people, and stand in solidarity with them, not Hamas. I stand in solidarity with all those who demand peace. I urge you to take action and not stand by and be complicit in genocide.
I look forward to seeing what actions you will take.
Yours sincerely,
Lidia Thorpe
Senator for Victoria
Sent to Senator Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs on Thursday 9 November 2023