Recognising the State of Palestine

Wednesday 20 August
Private Members’ Statement

Ms CLANCY (Elder) (15:52): In 2023, on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I stood in this place sharing the story of the fear and terror too many children in Gaza were experiencing. Today, not even two years later, Al Jazeera reports that at least 17,000 of those children have been killed, with only around 15,500 being identified.

Please take a moment to let that sink in. It is not just a number—17,000 children—it is the equivalent of more than 10 per cent of our state's entire primary school student population. If that thought makes you feel physically ill like it does me, so should what is happening in Gaza. Seventeen thousand children: every single one, a life cut horrifically short.

In 2024, I and others in this place called on our nation to show leadership, to match our values of justice and fairness with actions and to recognise the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. Today, I take this opportunity on behalf of the community who elected me to this place, who have consistently urged me to use this platform to strive for equality here and elsewhere, to again show our support for the people of Palestine.

We welcome the federal government's recent announcement that Australia is joining the overwhelming majority of the international community to formally recognise the State of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly next month. This recognition comes with important conditions that offer a pathway towards a peaceful, secure, two-state solution. While it does not solve every challenge or immediately stop the horrors being inflicted on innocent people in Gaza, it is a vital step towards peace and freedom.