As Israel’s war on Palestine entered its 56th week, protesters demanded the Australian government expel the Israeli ambassador, impose sanctions on the rogue state and stop crucial weapons parts from being sent to abet its genocide.
The Israeli Knesset decision to declare the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), a “terrorist” organisation has ignited new fury.
UNRWA is the only aid organisation with any type of capacity to deliver even the meagre amount of basic aid to the besieged people of Gaza.
The UN General Assembly formed UNWRA in 1949 to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees displaced by Israel’s dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
Between 1947 and 1949, at least 750,000 Palestinians, from a population of 1.9 million, were made refugees by the Zionist forces, which ethnically cleansed and destroyed 750 villages and cities and killed more than 15,000 Palestinians including in more than 70 massacres.
According to The Lancet on July 10, the accumulative effects of Israel’s war on Gaza could mean the true death toll could reach more than 186,000 people: 38,000 direct deaths and three to 15 times this number in indirect deaths.
UNICEF — the United Nations agency for children — warned that the entire population of northern Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease and famine.
UNICEF reported on November 2 that its staff administering polio vaccines to children in Jabalia in northern Gaza, had come under fire, killing children near the vaccination clinic.
Meanwhile, US Democrats and Republicans continue to emphasise their support for Israel’s so-called defensive war days before the election. Without its political and economic support, Israel could not continue its genocidal war.
The European Greens on November 1 called on US presidential candidate Jill Stein from the US Green Party, the only party to oppose the genocide in Gaza, to step down.
“Europe needs Kamala Harris as President of the United States, to be a reliable partner and to take the urgent, decisive action needed on the climate crisis, and to bring about a just and sustainable peace in the Middle East,” the statement said.
Stein responded by saying the “establishment parties have failed us” and called on the European Greens to “stop supporting genocide in Gaza and suppressing democracy in the US elections”.
Green Senator David Shoebridge told the 56th weekly protest in Gadigal Country/Sydney on November 3 that outlawing UNRWA is “an obscene breach of international law”, removing the obligations of an occupying state against an occupying people”. He said if not now, “then when will Labor sanction the Benjamin Netanyahu government?”
Peter Boyle reports that Shoebridge urged Labor to throw out the Israeli ambassador and cancel the two-way armaments trade between the two countries. “Surely now Labor can see this extremist Netanyahu government has not interest in international law; it is engaged in an active genocide against the people of Palestine.”
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At least 2000 protesters marched on NSW Parliament demanding that Labor state and federal governments sanction Israel over its support for Israel’s Genocide, ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and invasion of Lebanon.
At a brief sit-down outside Parliament House, Labor Premier Chris Minns was condemned for his attempts to ban Palestine solidarity protests.
The crowd was told to be prepared for action if the unofficial threats to deport nine recent refugees from Gaza move ahead.
The 56th week of continuous protest was also marked in Naarm/Melbourne on November 3.
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Protesters assembled at the Crown Street mall, Tharawal country/Wollongong on November 2 for the weekly protest against the genocide.
Wollongong Friends of Palestine has also been organising to stop local steel manufacturer, Bisalloy Steel, from profiting from genocide. Bisalloy works with Elbit Systems, Rheinmetal, and Rafael Defence Systems, companies notorious for their support of genocide and occupation. A “No Illawarra Steel for Genocide” community picket of the Ferra Engineering company, in Unanderra on November 15, aims to disrupt production of steel for parts used in the F-35 jets which are being used to bomb Gaza.
A “peak hour for peace” protest, in Corio Village Shopping Centre in the heart of defence minister Richard Males’ electorate, was organised in Djilang/Geelong on November 1. The weekly event is drawing good support. Palestine supporters are organising a “Picket for peace” every Wednesday outside Marles’ electorate office, 17A Yarra Street, Geelong.
The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance organised a vigil on November 2 in Magan-djin/Brisbane to remember the killing of all journalists and media workers over the last two years.
The event was organised to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. “The war in Gaza has exacted an unprecedented and horrific toll on Palestinian journalists and the region’s media landscape,” the MEAA said.
“At least 128 journalists and media workers, all but five of them Palestinian, have been killed – more journalists than have died in the course of any year since the Committee to Protect Journalists began documenting journalist killings in 1992.”
Also in Magan-djin, campaigners chanted “It’s occupation that we fight, it’s only justice we demand” at a November 4 protest to #ShutDownFerra.
Justice for Palestine is also holding a public organising meeting on November 6 and a rally on November 10.
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Samah Sabawi presented the Edward Said Memorial Lecture in Kaurna Yerta/Adelaide on November 2. The annual event is organised by the Australian Friends of Palestine Association.
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