Australian Greens Senator Pushes For Senate Vote To Recognize Palestinian Statehood

Australian Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi is set to call for a vote in the Senate today to recognize the state of Palestine. This move follows a similar motion that was defeated in the lower house of Parliament last month.

Senator Faruqi has urged members of Australia’s center-left Labor government to support the motion. "All Labor has to do is have the conviction to stick to their policy and take the most basic act of historical justice," she posted on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the importance of the motion.

Why This Matters: Previously, Labor representatives joined forces with the conservative Liberal and National parties to decisively defeat the motion in the House of Representatives. Despite this setback, Faruqi remains steadfast, reiterating her commitment to the cause.

"I’ll be moving a motion in the Senate today to recognize the state of Palestine," Faruqi declared. "I call on every member of the Labor party to support this motion. Every abstention and every vote against this motion will be recorded firmly and permanently on the wrong side of history."

Senator Faruqi stressed that recognizing Palestinian statehood is fundamentally about affirming the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. This perspective has found resonance within the Labor party as well, with Labor Senator Fatima Payman publicly questioning her party’s current stance on the issue.

The motion represents a significant moment for Australian politics, as it seeks to align the country’s foreign policy more closely with principles of justice and human rights. By pushing for this vote, Senator Faruqi aims to galvanize support within the Senate and challenge the existing political consensus on Palestine.

Key Takeaways:

• Senator Mehreen Faruqi to call Senate vote on recognizing Palestine.
• Labor party urged to support recognition of Palestinian statehood.
• Similar motion previously defeated in lower house of Parliament.
• Faruqi highlights right of Palestinians to self-determination.
• Labor Senator Fatima Payman questions party’s position on Palestine.