Muslim voters are disappointed with Labor’s weakness on Israel
Labor’s abstention from a UN resolution calling for ceasefire, as well as its refusal to condemn Israel’s atrocities, is causing anger in its Muslim heartlands.
On Sunday, representatives from Muslim youth and student associations across Sydney gathered at Auburn Town Hall to brainstorm ways to help Palestinian civilians from afar. One of the running themes of the day was a sense of disappointment and betrayal in the Australian government’s refusal to call for a ceasefire, or describe Israel’s indiscriminate killing of more than 9,000 Palestinian civilians as genocide.
Amira Rahman is a social media ambassador with the Muslim Youth Association, which co-hosted the day and has been running pro-Palestine events for the last few weeks. Between the “horrifying images on my phone” and the government’s near-silence, it’s been an upsetting time.
“A few weeks ago, I visited the Sydney Opera House for the first time,” Rahman said. “I was so excited. I’ve lived in Australia my whole life and I’d never seen the Opera House, and it made me feel sort of proud to be Australian in a way. I thought ‘I’m gonna perform here someday’. And then the next night, they lit the Opera House up in blue and white.”
Read more about the Muslim reaction to Labor’s Israel stance…
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