Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe is urging the Australian government to impose sanctions on Israel in response to a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
The ICJ recently ordered Israel to take immediate action to prevent its troops from committing genocide, punish acts of incitement, improve the humanitarian situation, and report progress within a month.
Senator Thorpe, a proud Gunnai Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman representing the Blak Sovereign Movement, is now calling on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to strongly condemn the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
She insists that Australia should withdraw all support for the Israeli regime or risk being perceived as complicit in the genocide of the Palestinian people and siding with war criminals.
“We’ve watched over the past 16 weeks as the Israeli government has murdered over 25,000 Gazans in an indiscriminate but systematic campaign of brutality,” Senator Thrope said in a statement on Monday.
“Yet governments across the world – including the Australian government – have been too scared to act. Albanese should remember that Australia is a signatory to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – this government has a duty to do all it can to prevent genocide in Gaza.”
Next week, Senator Thorpe plans to introduce a Bill in parliament aimed at reinforcing Australia’s commitment to international human rights and the rule of law.
The Bill intends to give fuller effect to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
The ICJ case stems from South Africa’s accusation late last year that Israel committed acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip, violating the 1948 Genocide Convention.
South Africa, as a signatory to the United Nations Genocide Convention, brought the case to the ICJ by invoking its “obligation to prevent genocide.”
Despite Israel’s request to dismiss the case, the ICJ accepted South Africa’s arguments and mandated Israel to prevent its armed forces from engaging in acts covered by the 1948 Genocide Convention with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian death toll in Israel’s offensive on Gaza has surpassed 25,000, according to the Ministry of Health.
The Israeli bombardment began in response to a surprise attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, resulting in at least 1,139 deaths, according to an Al Jazeera tally based on official Israeli statistics.
Palestinian armed groups also took around 250 Israelis hostage.
