Pro-Palestinian activist Waddah Weld Ali enters election race

A pro-Palestinian activist has entered the federal election race on the Gold Coast, sparking outcry from some residents who say they’re pulling up his campaign corflutes.

Waddah Weld Ali in a picture from his campaign website.

A pro-Palestinian activist has entered the federal election race on the Gold Coast, sparking outcry from some residents who say they’re pulling up his campaign corflutes.

Waddah Weld Ali launched his campaign for the Coast seat of Moncrieff this week, standing as an independent against candidates including LNP incumbent Angie Bell.

Mr Ali, a Bahrain-born teacher and civil engineer whose father is Palestinian, was involved in a rowdy anti-Israel protest outside the Gold Coast’s city hall last year which led to security being ramped up for councillors.

Waddah Weld Ali protesting at UQ. Picture: John Gass

His campaign website lists policies including renegotiating Australia’s military alliance with the US “war machine”.

“Australia should pull out of the AUKUS “security partnership” and be independent from the war machine USA,” he says on the website.

“We should never allow our government to be complicit as a war criminal with USA and their partner Israel that is black listed by the United Nation and all countries round the world as a genocidal war criminal regime and killers of children and women.”

Waddah Weld Ali in a picture from his campaign website.

Mr Ali says keeping Australia’s relationship with “the USA war machine and genocidal entity Israel” will result in Australia becoming “a complicit war machine criminal”.

His website also features a section titled “Waddah in activism” with a photograph of him waving a Palestinian flag and speaking into a megaphone at a protest.

He said that the major parties had “made intangible promises, spread lies and fostered division” for decades.

“Their complicity in war crimes and the continued arming of United Nations-black-listed war criminals must not be overlooked,” he said.

One local posted a photo of one of Mr Ali’s campaign corflutes on a community Facebook page.

Waddah Weld Ali protesting at UQ. Picture: Liam Kidston

“Pro-Hamas individual running in Southport … disgusting,” he said.

“Take down his signs if you see them.”

One commenter said they had “already pulled five of them the other day”.

Mr Ali will officially launch his campaign at the Southport Broadwater Parklands on Sunday morning.

Ms Bell was contacted for comment.

Originally published as Pro-Palestinian activist Waddah Weld Ali enters election race