Senator Fatima Payman has refused to answer, when asked on Wednesday night’s 7.30 Report on ABC, if the actions of Hamas on October 7 were an act of terrorism or an act of resistance.
“I think that that question really not only ignores the 75, 76 years but also reduces the Palestinian plight,” Payman said, referring to the decades since Israel became a nation.
What happened on the 7th of October, I’ve condemned and the atrocities… the loss of any human life is to be condemned. Any form of violence against civilians must be condemned, and we need to acknowledge that Palestinians and now the Lebanese community are hurting, but so are the Israeli communities. And this is about: how do we make sure that we are raising awareness, but at the same time not isolating one group and pitting one group against another?”
Payman was more definitive when asked by Sarah Ferguson if Israel had a right to defend itself after the Hamas massacre.
We’ve heard from the ICJ [International Court of Justice] and the ICC [International Criminal Court] that as an occupying power, occupying a people, Israel does not have the right to claim self-defense.
Again, I’m not a humanitarian lawyer or expert, but from what I have seen and understood Israel’s atrocities and the genocide it continues to impose on the people of Palestine and now crossing the borders needs to be called out and Australia, as a friend of Israel, should play a stronger and bolder role.”
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In December last year, International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan called the October 7 massacre “some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity,” demanded the hostages be released and urged Israel to confine its response to “clear legal parameters”.
But in May this year, Karim said he was seeking arrest warrants for both Hamas and Israeli leaders, including President Benjamin Netanyahu, over the atrocities in Gaza, a call condemned by US President Joe Biden. Australia said there was no moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas but supported the ICC’s role in upholding international law.
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