Stand on the right side of history

July 28, 2026

A major message coming from the Royal Commission is that there’s one country on earth that’s exempt from criticism – Israel. Think for three seconds and you know that’s laughable. As is the contention that criticism of Israel is antisemitic. It’s both shameful and dangerous that universities, parliaments and numerous other organisations have defied reality and shut down free speech and the right to protest about the ethnic cleansing and genocide going on in Palestine.

It’s understandable that someone with ties to Israel might be upset at hearing that country criticised. But we cannot be silent and inactive in the face of genocide on that account. We cannot succumb to chosen blindness and denial of death and destruction.

All of us should be wanting the genocide to stop and urging our government to act by, at the least, instigating BDS measures, including ceasing military and security trade with Israel. If we ignore death and destruction to salve hurt feelings we have lost our humanity and moral compass. Our leaders would do well to acquaint themselves with Martin Niemöller’s poem “First they came”. And right now we should acknowledge Ed Husic as the one Labor MP with moral clarity and fortitude.