On the 18th May 2024, Victorian State Labor (ALP) held their annual conference at Moonee Valley Racecourse. The Australian Newspaper reported that at least four contentious motions on Gaza were carried at the conference.
“Urgency motions relating to the Israel-Hamas war, drafted by pro-Palestinian supporters within Labor’s Socialist Left faction, were debated and met with overwhelming support. One of the motions demands the Albanese government support the ‘inalienable right of self-determination for the Palestinian people,’ and another calls for the end to Israel’s ‘perpetual military occupation and human rights violations’ in Gaza.”
These motions were drafted by pro-Palestinian supporters within the Socialist Left faction of Victorian Labor, and headlined as (1) Justice for Palestine – Right to Self-Determination, (2) United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, (3) International Court of the Justice, and (4) Illegal Settlements. It’s important to understand the actual content and wording of these motions so you can appreciate and digest the depth of anti-Israel hatred pulsating through the veins of Victorian State Labor (ALP) right now.
Motion 1: Justice for Palestine – Right to Self-Determination
“State Conference resolves that Victorian Labor affirms the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and calls on the Federal Labor Government to: Support the inalienable right of self-determination for the Palestinian people; Immediately recognise Palestine as a fully independent sovereign state within the term of this parliament. Welcomes the Federal Labor Government’s vote in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution extending Palestine’s participation rights as a UN observer; Utilise international forums to demand an end to the perpetual military occupation and human rights violations, which are in flagrant violation of international law; and Advocate for the implementation of UN Resolutions which provide a solution for peace and security for both sides.”
Motion 2: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees
“State Conference calls on the Albanese Government to assist UNRWA to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees pending a just and lasting solution to their plight. It is the responsibility of the Australian Government to assist the international community in finding that solution. Therefore, that State Conference resolves that the Federal Labor Government: Recognises the essential role of aid workers and seek to ensure their safety at all times; Commit to ongoing annual funding for UNRWA (and) reaffirm the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and to help safeguard and advance the rights of Palestine refugees.”
Motion 3: International Court of the Justice
“That State Conference resolves that the Federal Labor Government: Advocates strongly for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces. Calls for the immediate release of all hostages and political prisoners; Upholds its obligations to prevent genocide by taking urgent steps to ensure Israel complies with the ICJ’s provisional measures; Ensure Australia is not a party to any Israeli actions or policies that contravene the ICJ’s ruling; Exert pressure on Israel to immediately open up access to Gaza and end its brutal 17-year long blockade and siege.”
Motion 4: Illegal Settlements
“Israel’s settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal under international law and contravene the Geneva Convention. These settlements along with unprecedented settler and military violence, continue to result in the ongoing forcible displacement of Palestinians; a further reduction in territory through the depopulation of villages and neighbourhoods; and a further entrenchment of the Occupation. That State Conference resolves that the Federal Labor Government take concrete steps to: call on Israel to dismantle and remove its settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, support political and legal action against Israeli settlements and settlement activity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and calling for visa bans on violent Israeli settlers, make it illegal for Australian citizens, companies and organisations to fund settlement activity.”
What do we make of these motions being carried by Victorian State Labor?
It’s important to know that the Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is part of the Socialist Left faction that carried the above four motions at their State Conference. This is the same Socialist Left faction that her predecessor, the autocratic dictator Dan Andrews comes from too. So, it’s all well and good for Premier Allan to call out the group of pro-Palestine protesters who tried to storm the conference as disruptive and disgusting. However, these words are shallow and meaningless when you consider the weight of anti-Israel emotion, anger and sentiment that is reinforced through these four motions being passed.
Nick Dyrenfurth, co-convener of Labor Friends of Israel, sought to oppose the motion and was heckled when he addressed the conference. When describing himself to the crowd as a “proud Jew” someone in the crowd yelled “sit down Zionist”. This is derogatory and antisemitic, to put it mildly. Dyrenfurth should be commended for his bold and courageous move to stand up and apply at least some semblance of balance and normality to this one-sided debate.
To make matters worse, at no time did the Victorian State Labor Conference identify or refer to Hamas as a globally recognised terrorist organisation. This differs starkly from the Federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s formal description and classification of Hamas:
“Hamas is an ideologically and religiously motivated violent extremist organisation which fuses Palestinian nationalist and Sunni Islamist objectives. Hamas does not recognise Israel as a sovereign state. Its goal is to establish an independent Islamic state comprising Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. Hamas supports a strategy of violent attacks on civilian and military targets, and armed resistance against the Israeli military, in pursuit of its goals.”
The way in which the Victorian State Government under Jacinta Allan’s woke leadership has so clearly broken away from this federal classification is alarming, disappointing and worrying, to say the least. This government, ruled and dominated by the Socialist Left Faction, has made it abundantly clear as to where they stand when it comes to supporting the Melbourne Jewish Community and the State of Israel.
You should also make it clear at the ballot box, come the next Victorian State Election, and get rid of this Socialist Left Government trying to control the social and moral narrative in Victoria, once and for all.
2 thoughts on “Victorian State Labor’s Socialist Left entrench anti-Israel hatred at conference”
Disgusting, what has Australia come to? Heading towards another Holocaust – reminding me how few Jewish survivors of the first Holocaust were allowed into Australia. Nothing’s changed in nearly 80 years – once Jew-phobic, always Jew-phobic.
This may explain the rise of anti semitism during the federal election. It was only through Melbourne friends that I became aware of an horrific campaign in the neighbourhood of the former treasurer. I do not recall any news reports at all. Makes me wonder how many Australian residents knew about the planned October 7th attacks. Mr Albanese May be misguided in believing he is safe. My now deceased Maltese husband developed an uneasy sense of hatred towards his race,and it came from hardcore union men. He became very conservative. Fellow Maltese friends supported the unions,but he felt that they were buttered up,and it was their way of being accepted,as they did suffer racism. Maltese share the Arabic language of the Jews. Maltese are Christian, unlike the predominately Muslim Arabs, who have slaughtered Christians. you would know all this of course, so I cannot understand the attitude of our prime minister.