MPs condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza, accuse Federal Government of being blatantly pro-Israel

By political reporter Eliza Borrello

Forty-one state and federal MPs have signed a strongly worded letter condemning the Israeli military's attacks on Gaza.

The campaign is being spearheaded by the Federal Labor member for Fremantle and former United Nations lawyer, Melissa Parke, who lived in Gaza for two-and-a-half years.

She says she has witnessed the toll that the decades long conflict has taken on the Palestinian people and wants all Australian politicians to condemn the Israeli military's latest attacks.

"You cannot have more than a thousand deaths and 6,000 injuries, more than three-quarters of those being civilians as collateral damage, and that being OK under international law," she said.

"It's simply not OK and it's time that that was said."

The letter says the rockets fired from Gaza are not justified but cannot be compared with Israel's bombing of Gaza.

"Israel is the occupying power, Israel is the military might and if Israel and states like the US and Australia, which has a seat on the security council, would stand on the side of peace and justice then I think we would see a settlement happen," Ms Parke said.

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She says Australia's position overtly favours Israel.

"It's a blatantly pro-Israel position and I don't think that Israel is really interested in peace," she said.

Her Labor colleague Michael Danby, who is Jewish, sees the conflict differently.

"If Hamas stops firing the rockets into Israel, then I think the Israelis can cease military operations," he said.

"I don't think anyone likes to see these civilian deaths but we have to remember Melissa's letter is a bit unbalanced, it doesn't mention the fact that Hamas's program is to destroy Israel, replace it entirely," he said.

Mr Danby says it is important to remember the Government lists Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

"Melissa's petition represents the left and the Greens' view of the world and I think other people, other Australians, would say that the issue of Hamas and ISIS and other jihadist groups' political orientation and what they want to achieve is also equally important," he said.

But western Sydney Labor MP Laurie Ferguson, who has also signed the letter, believes the major parties are out of step with public opinion.

"I went through the Timor issue where Labor and Liberal governments condoned the Indonesian occupation for 20-odd years despite Australian public opinion. I think there's a similar pattern now," Mr Ferguson said.

Labor MPs have long held opposing views on the conflict; however, the party's official position is to support a two state-solution, but also Israel's right to defend itself.

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--http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-28/state-and-federal-mps-condemn-israeli-military-attacks-on-gaza/5627690