Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Numerous constituents have voiced their concern and distress to me about the situation in Palestine and Israel in the last month. In 10 days, 257 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza were killed by Israeli forces, and 12 Israelis were killed by Palestinian militants. When violence erupts, the world's attention is drawn back to this conflict. I've visited the region and seen firsthand the complexity and diversity of views. I support the Palestinians' right to statehood, as I support Israel's right to exist, though I have no love for the leadership of each nation. After the latest violence, though, it's important not to lose focus on the barriers to peace. Chief amongst them are Israel's settlement policies, explicitly stated as being to expand Jewish settlements across Jerusalem and the whole West Bank. The footprint of settlements is much larger than the buildings. They bring a network of exclusive roads, closed military zones, checkpoints and soldiers encircling Palestinian communities. Insidious, creeping annexation is killing hope for Palestinians to enjoy self-determination in a normal state. In 2016 the UN Security Council identified the settlements as a violation of international law and demanded that they cease, but five years later their growth has accelerated. If we want to see an end to these horrific cycles of violence then Israel must cease its settlement expansions. Of course, this alone will not bring peace, but settlements make a sustainable peace far less likely.