Wong’s call for Palestinian timeline lashed from left and right

Greens leader Adam Bandt has said Labor was providing only ‘empty words’ following Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s call for a clear timeline on the creation of a Palestinian state.

Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Greens leader Adam Bandt says Labor is providing only “empty words” following Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s call for a clear timeline on the creation of a Palestinian state; his deputy, Mehreen Faruqi, is accusing fellow parliamentarians of being guilty of white supremacy and colonialism.

While Senator Wong’s speech on the floor of the UN was widely interpreted as containing the strongest language from any Labor minister on the issue of Palestinian statehood, Mr Bandt said the government had still not gone far enough.

“The time for empty words is over. Instead of more hand-wringing pleas for a ceasefire, it’s time to put pressure on the extremist government of Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the bombing of civilians in Palestine and Lebanon,” he said.

“Labor is again delaying the recognition of Palestine, breaking an election commitment and pretending they need permission for something they have the power to do right now.”

The Greens’ leader’s comments came as pro-Palestinian protests were held at the weekend across the country;these have come under scrutiny following reports some attendees allegedly waved Hezbollah flags and carried portraits of the killed leader of the terrorist group, Hassan Nasrallah.

Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi. Picture: NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Speaking at one of the rallies, Senator Faruqi said the Labor government was “cheering on … the genocide of Palestinians”.

“Colonialism, imperialism and white supremacy doesn’t just exist at neo-Nazi rallies,” she said in a social media post. “It wears expensive suits in Canberra and it sits on editorial boards.”

In comments made ahead of the rallies and before the killing of Nasrallah, Senator Wong doubled down on the need for a Palestinian state as tensions in the Middle East escalated.

“I can’t speak for the government of Israel but when you have a coalition of countries making the same point, that is a very clear demonstration of the will of the international community,” she told Sky News.

“The endgame should be peace and security in the region and that will require a two-state solution, for both Israelis and Palestinians. Israel, we want you to listen to the international community.”

Nationals’ Senate leader Bridget McKenzie said Senator Wong’s calls for a timeline on the recognition of Palestine were made purely for political reasons.

Nationals’ Senate leader Bridget McKenzie. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“I just think what Penny Wong is calling for on the floor of the UN is absolutely playing domestic politics with a very, very serious situation,” she told ABC. “She is trashing our decades-long bipartisan approach to a negotiated two-state solution in the Middle East.”

Senator McKenzie accused Senator Wong of making the comments in an effort to placate voters in western Sydney, which has among the highest proportions of Muslim constituents in the country.

Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke – who’s southwest Sydney seat of Watson is under threat by the new Muslim Votes movement – accused the Greens of using misinformation to throw petrol on the fire of local tensions.

Mr Burke accused the Greens and Peter Dutton of “using parliament” to serve their own political ends and that there was a “direct line” between their actions and the increased bigotry across the country.