Greens senator accuses Labor of ‘complicity’ in ‘genocide’ in Gaza

Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi is accusing Labor of seeing ‘white people as victims and brown people as villains’ as tensions over Israel rise.

Mehreen Faruqi has accused the Albanese government of being “complicit in Israel’s genocide”, as tensions rose following the first anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks on Israel.

Speaking at Parliament House alongside activists and independent senate colleagues Fatima Payman and Lidia Thorpe, the Greens senator said Labor had “taken no action” against Israel despite protesters “demanding sanctions” for a year.

“They pick and choose when and where international law will apply. They pick and choose who deserves justice,” she said.

She said both Labor and the Coalition “unequivocally decided that they will always see white people as victims and brown people as villains.”

Mehreen Faruqi says the Albanese government is racist for not sanctioning Israel. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“People are sick and tired of this racism, of this hypocrisy and of these double standards,” Senator Faruqi said.

“We are sick and tired of being told that we are the problem, that we should shut up that we should stop protesting, and we are being told this by politicians who are enabling a genocide that is massacring tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, in the West Bank, and now thousands more in Lebanon.”

During question time in the Senate, Greens senators continued to condemn the government for its stance on Israel, and briefly help up signs which read: “Sanctions now”.

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe also briefly interrupted proceedings and walked into the chamber yelling: “Free Palestine,” “Shame on you,” and chanted “from the river to the sea”.

Senate President Sue Lines admonished the actions taken by Senator Thorpe and the Greens.

“That was a disgraceful display, which every single senator who raised the placard knows is a contravention of the standing orders,” she said.

“If you cannot remain in the chamber and not pull stunts like that, than I invite you to leave.”

Senator Wong also criticised the minor party for their antics.

“That is the sum total of the Greens’ capacity to change politics, is to hold up a poster during question time,” she said.

Israel invaded Gaza after Hamas, the terrorist group that runs the Palestinian territory, killed around 1200 in its brutal October 7 assault last year.

The Islamist militants wounded more than 5000 and took hundreds hostage as they retreated. Many hostages have since died and more than 100 remain held by Hamas.

The Israeli response has been unrelenting and has killed upward of 40,000 in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The International Court of Justice has not ruled Israel’s military action in the densely populated strip is genocide.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Greens are a ‘party of protest’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Senator Faruqi’s comments come against a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism that has played out at universities and rallies on the streets of Australia’s biggest cities.

During Question Time, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese if he still held that the Greens had adopted “racist and antisemitic” positions since the October 7 attacks.

Mr Albanese replied “there have been moments of anti-Semitism and racism in some of the responses that we’ve seen in the political debate taking place here in Australia.”

“I have been critical of the stance that the Greens political party have made,” he said.

“But I make this point as well that many people in the Greens political party, like in other parties, the Liberal Party, the National Party, as well as the Labor Party and independents, are people of goodwill, who join political parties because they think that is the vehicle for them to make the change that they want.”

But Mr Albanese said he would rather “be a member of a political party that’s a party of government rather than a party of protest”.