Quakers Australia in their latest Watching Brief has directly urged the Australian Government and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to abandon passive policies and take robust, actionable measures against the ongoing occupation and escalating military incursions in the West Bank and Palestine.
Specifically the Brief demands the following:
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- Concrete Action Over Words: Through the Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee (QPLC), Australian Quakers have called on Foreign Minister Penny Wong to ensure Australia moves beyond statements and imposes robust, targeted sanctions and a comprehensive arms embargo.
- Ending Economic Complicity: Quakers have specifically demanded that the Future Fund divest from all Israeli arms companies.
- Condemning West Bank Incursions: They have formally expressed deep distress to the PM regarding violent military incursions and aggressive land seizures.
The demands are contextualized in International Law & Human Rights
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- ICJ Rulings: Quakers urge the government to enforce the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) rulings regarding the inherent illegality of Israeli settlements.
- Humanitarian Access: Highlighting the displacement of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and the humanitarian crisis, they demand full, unrestricted humanitarian access and an immediate, permanent ceasefire.