Thursday, 30 May 2024

Middle East conflict

Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (18:22): (948) My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, and the action I seek is that the minister provide funding to the Jewish community to support Israelis in Melbourne who were displaced from Israel following the 7 October Hamas atrocities. In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s 7 October massacre of Jewish communities near Israel’s border with Gaza, between 200,000 and 250,000 Israelis were officially evacuated from their homes in the north and south of Israel along the borders with Lebanon and Gaza. As many as 100,000 are still displaced. Some of those that have been displaced are living with family and friends here in Melbourne. Of those 100,000 there are countless others who would gladly love to come to Australia if they could afford to do so.

The Allan Labor government is happy to provide funding for Palestinian communities but has nothing to offer the Jewish community other than evasive weasel words. Last night at the 76th birthday celebration of Israel, which the Premier attended and spoke at, she did not provide anything that was convincing to the Jewish community who were gathered there to celebrate the occasion, which has been done in a bipartisan manner for many, many decades. Compare that to the rousing speech that John Pesutto gave. He actually provided tangible solutions. He promised to crack down on hate in a number of areas by bringing back move-on laws that would crack down on the hateful protest mobs and allow Jewish students to safely attend university campuses; directing Victoria Police to take action on the rampant hatred and vilification of Jews; and ordering the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to enforce the law to make sure that people and institutions provide a safe space and a place where people can congregate for the purposes of their education, recreation or social interaction. These were real actions that he said he would do, but we did not hear anything from the Premier. It was evasive and it was very disappointing for those Jewish leaders in the room, who have spoken out about their disappointment on an opportunity that she missed. So I again call on the minister to provide that support and funding, because the Jewish community knows that the time for sending strength is over and the time for action is now.