Labor MP Julian Hill has called on the Australian government to prohibit its nationals from funding illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. This comes as Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, prepares to embark on a visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Hill’s call for action demonstrates a growing concern over settler activity which is deemed illegal under international law.
Over the past 100 days, the conflict in Gaza has resulted in over 1,000 Palestinians being displaced from their homes in the West Bank, with settlers committing hundreds of violent attacks, leading to civilian casualties. The situation has been deemed as the worst in two decades, as confirmed by Human Rights Watch. With this context, Hill has urged the Australian government to take a stronger stance against settler activity, advocating for visa bans on settlers and pressing for consequences to be attached to this continued illegal behavior.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong have found themselves at the center of the debate. While defending Wong’s decision not to visit the sites in southern Israel attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, Albanese and Wong condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Labor MPs, led by Julian Hill, have called on the government to take a firmer stance against extremist settlers. They have proposed issuing travel bans and considering measures to prevent Australians from supporting settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
As Minister Wong prepares for her diplomatic mission to the Middle East, the pressing issue of settler violence and illegal settlements in the West Bank has garnered attention both domestically and internationally. The call to ban Australian nationals from funding illegal Israeli settlements is gaining traction, signifying a push for stronger international accountability in addressing the escalation of settler violence in the region.
The concerns raised by Hill and the response from government officials pave the way for a critical dialogue on Australia’s stance towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It underscores the urgency to address the human rights violations and violence perpetuated by settler activity, reflecting a growing demand for accountability and action from the international community.
The upcoming visit of Minister Wong to the Middle East is poised to be a pivotal moment as the issue of settler violence and illegal Israeli settlements takes center stage in the diplomatic discourse. The call for Australian action in banning funding to these settlements sheds light on the complexities and challenges in navigating the geopolitical landscape of the region while upholding international law and human rights standards.
