Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and spokesperson for International Aid & Global Justice, Senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to today's motion.
As stated by Senator Faruqi:
"Words won't feed people, but with this motion, Labor's hand will be forced to implement sanctions. The parliament's support for this Greens motion puts it on the record that Israel is breaching international law and that the Australian Government must act.
"There is a legal obligation to prevent genocide, and from today's vote, Labor can no longer pretend that they did not know.
"This is a direct result of community and Greens pressure. For almost two years, voices for peace including the Greens have been attacked and maligned by the Government but today is vindication that they are starting to open their eyes to stopping the genocide and the forced starvation of Palestinians.
"Finally, Parliament is starting to pressure Israel to stop its genocide. After 21 months, Parliament is finding its heart, but Labor's courage on sanctions is still missing.
"This is just a start. The Greens will continue to hold the Government to account to ensure that their support for this motion today translates to genuine action - including the economic sanctions needed to end the blockade.
"The only blocker to sanctioning Israel is Labor. The Greens will continue our pressure, continue to hold Labor to account, and to ensure that Parliament's vote for this motion today translates into genuine action."
