‘Offensive’: Griffith MP’s Israel ‘genocide’ comment sparks anger from Jewish community

A Brisbane federal Greens MP has been accused of disgraceful behaviours after accusing Israel of mass war crimes and threatening genocide.

Brisbane-based federal Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather accused Israel of “mass war crimes” and needed to be stopped from committing “full-blown genocide” against the Palestinians in an inflammatory speech, just days after the ASIO boss urged people to tone down the rhetoric on the conflict.

He has been accused of “disgraceful” and deliberate attempts to instigate outrage by invoking Israel and genocide together.

But the Member for Griffith said he would not apologise for “for calling for peace and a ceasefire, and an end to this massacre”.

ASIO chief Mike Burgess last week warned of a “direct correlation between language that inflames tension” and an increase in people “who think violence is the answer”.

Mr Chandler-Mather used inflammatory language in an adjournment speech, calling for an end to “Israeli occupation of Palestine”.

Greens Member for Griffith Max Chandler-Mather

“If we are horrified by the murder of innocent Israelis by Hamas and rightly condemn Hamas … then we must do everything we can to stop this becoming a full-blown genocide carried out by the Israeli government and military in Gaza on Palestinians,” Mr Chandler-Mather said on Tuesday evening.

“We must push for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, illegal settlements and blockade of Gaza,” he said.

“This is not Israel defending itself; this is the Israeli government and military carrying out mass war crimes on 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in an open-air prison.”

Australia-Israel Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said Mr Chandler-Mather’s speech was “appalling and disgraceful”.

“His claim that Israel intends to carry out a genocide is outrageous and offensive,” Dr Rubenstein said.

“He simply compiled a laundry list of Hamas talking points that were either half-truths at best, totally lacking any context, or both.

“His extreme language also demonstrates he has failed to heed ASIO chief Mike Burgess’ warning about the direct correlation between language that inflames tension and violence, a warning all of our leaders should consider carefully when addressing these issues.”

Member for Bowman Henry Pike

Member for Bowman Henry Pike, who was temporarily ejected from the House of Representatives for ongoing interjections during Mr Chandler-Mather’s speech, said it appeared to be a deliberate attempt to instigate outrage.

“To invoke genocide and Israel in the same sentence is highly offensive to the Jewish people,” Mr Pike said.

In response to the criticism, Mr Chandler-Mather said the Israeli Defence Minister had shut off water, electricity fuel and medical supplies to Gaza, with a population of 2.3 million, in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attack.

“The Israeli military has dropped over 6000 bombs on an area half the size of Canberra, including on UN schools, hospitals and areas that the Israeli military had told civilians to evacuate into,” he said.

“3000 Palestinian civilians have been murdered by the state of Israel, including 940 children and 1032 women, 600,000 have been displaced, while a population of 2.3 million is being denied food, water, fuel and medicine by the Israeli Government’s blockade.”

His comments appeared to be based on figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health which on Tuesday stated Israel’s bombardment had resulted in 3,000 casualties, including 1032 girls and 940 boys.