Cumberland Council debates Israel, Palestine conflict

Forget rates, roads and rubbish – a western Sydney council is getting involved in the Palestinian-Israel conflict despite a critic saying ‘last time I checked it didn’t have an immigration Minister’.

Cumberland Council has debated the Palestinian-Israeli conflict despite a critic saying last time he checked “it didn’t have an immigration Minister”.

Mayor Steve Christou’s motion to write to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and urge him to hold immediate talks with world leaders to negotiate a peaceful end to the conflict won support from the chamber two days before the May 21 ceasefire on the Gaza Strip.

Cr Christou said the council needed to adopt a strong view against the carnage ravaging the long troubled spot, where more than 250 Palestinians including 65 children were killed by Israeli forces this month. During 11 days of conflict, 13 Israelis, including two children, were killed.

A Palestinian inspects the rubble of a destroyed house in Gaza City. Picture: Fatima Shbair/Getty Images

“I believe it is important that as a nation that Australia plays a strong part in trying to negotiate a solution to this issue,’’ Cr Christou said.

“We cannot continue to sit idly and watch on our television the deaths and destruction that is ruining the lives of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.’’

Labor councillor Ola Hamed’s motion was more elaborate and she called on the council to write to Mr Morrison and Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne to “work towards halting any further land expropriation and settle expansion in Gaza and supporting immediate mutual ceasefire”.

Cumberland Mayor Steve Christou. Picture: Angelo Velardo

The motion extended to express the council’s saddened by the tragic loss of life on civilians on both sides, that it deplored the violence against worshippers at the Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem on May 10 and that it deplores “the oppression Palestinians endure under Israeli occupation as well as Israel’s violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws’’.

The motion won enough votes to be successful.

“Within the Cumberland LGA (local government area) there is a significant Palestinian community as well as large number of people from neighbouring countries such as Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and members of these communities have expressed their deep concerns to me about these terrible events that are unfolding and I’d like to represent them,’’ Cr Hamed said.

“We should all be standing unequivocally on the side of human rights and use every single resource available to us to put an end to this violence once and for all.’’

But not all in the chamber backed the council debating international affairs.

Liberal councillor Ned Attie said the council should “fix the roads, fix some parks, try to employ a new general manger’’.

“The last time I knew what council does is to pick up garbage and collect rates,’’ he said.

“No one likes to see anyone being eradicated from this life by any means, irrespective of who it is, but the last time I woke up in this LGA I didn’t see the Cumberland Minister Immigration, nor the Cumberland Minister Foreign Affairs, nor the Cumberland Prime Minister nor any federal Minister living, acting breathing this LGA.’’

Cr Attie backed the mayor’s motion to write to Mr Morrison and encourage peace talks but rejected Cr Hamed’s more elaborate motion.

“We are a council, not part of federal government,’’ he said.

“We should not be placing any provisions on either side of the fence, nor should we profess to be historians.

“I’m not going to advocate for Israel and I’m not going to advocate for Palestine. I’m going to advocate to the Prime Minister that there is a problem somewhere else, we have people from both sides living here, please go and fix the problem.

“I’m sure the government is well aware what’s going on.’’

MORE NEWS

Parramatta Powerhouse Museum: Green ban lifted on Willow Grove

Name proposals for 5 Parramatta Square library, council chambers building