Don’t taint us all with Hamas brush, says Palestinian neurosurgeon
A Palestinian neurosurgeon whose family fled Gaza has said her newly arrived community had come here not just seeking help from Australia but to work for it, pleading with the government to ignore the Coalition’s call for a blanket ban on new arrivals.
A Palestinian neurosurgeon whose family fled Gaza has said her newly arrived community had come here not just seeking help from Australia but to work for it, pleading with the government to ignore the Coalition’s call for a blanket ban on new arrivals.
Urging a total ban on arrivals from Gaza, Peter Dutton claimed on Wednesday that the Albanese government couldn’t be sure about the “identity or allegiances” of those arriving.
Dr Mona Kaskeen said Gazans were indebted to Australia for the chance to build new lives and shouldn’t all be tainted with a Hamas brush, saying that anyone from or supportive of the group would struggle to cross the border into Egypt or pass ASIO’s vetting.
“We all came here as teachers, doctors, engineers – all very qualified and highly educated – to build a decent and responsible life in Australia,” she said from her new but temporary home in Sydney.
“Not just to get help, but to improve our lives, work for the (Australian community) and be helpful.”
On Wednesday, it was revealed the Home Affairs Department had granted almost 3000 visas to Palestinians since October 7, rejecting applications from more than 7100, coming before a permanent visa process for Gazan refugees.
Dr Kaskeen worked at Al-Shifa Hospital for two decades, before leaving soon after October 7 when her home was destroyed, later working in hospitals in Khan Younis and Rafa, where she was homeless.
She came to Australia in March with her husband and four children on a temporary visa before they were transferred to bridging visas; they are unsure whether their permanent stay will be approved.
Dr Kaskeen called the country’s opportunity a “beacon of hope”, and said her family had lost everything during the war, adding that it would be unlikely she could practise as a neurosurgeon again given the myriad of documents she had to verify and exams to pass.
“I love Gaza, but there is no future there,” she said, thanking Australia for its generosity.
“Australia represents a beacon of hope for us, a country where we can find freedom, opportunities for work and study, and a chance to rebuild our lives.”
It comes amid Immigration Minister Tony Burke’s political dilemma: reassuring the public that the government is properly vetting those fleeing Palestine while balancing that with community expectations in his seat of Watson.
The southwest Sydney seat has a large Muslim community and he is being challenged by an independent candidate running on a pro-Palestine platform.
Dr Kaskeen said her family was staunchly against the terror group and from her community in Sydney, she “100 per cent” believed it impossible any sympathised with it, let alone were part of it.
“The people that have arrived from Palestine have never supported Hamas,” she said, pointing to checks at the Egyptian border and ASIO’s own vetting processes.
“The government is Hamas, but Gazans are not Hamas. We support our people and community, not Hamas.”
Education Minister Jason Clare, whose seat of Blaxland has taken in Palestinian refugees, invited the Opposition Leader to visit that community, which was echoed by Dr Jamal Rifi, who has hosted three Gazan families at his NSW home.
“ASIO has done security assessments and if any one poses a risk they shouldn’t get a visa… but the vast majority (of Palestinians) are good people, highly educated and with loved ones here,” the community leader said.
“I know he (Mr Dutton) has a heart and I hope he uses that heart now with (his approach) to Gazans.”
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