Open Letter to Anthony Albanese: ‘Why collusion with this grotesque Israeli government?’

Jun 13, 2024
Australia and Israel flag together relations textile cloth fabric texture

We write in sadness and despair at your government’s failure to condemn openly and persistently the Israeli government’s determination to ethnically cleanse Palestine and to cause brutality, famine, death and destruction to a whole people and their country.

From: Australian Academics

To: The Hon Anthony Albanese MP

Prime Minister,

Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600

June 14 2024

Dear Prime Minister,

‘Why collusion with this grotesque Israeli government?’

We write in sadness and despair at your government’s failure to condemn openly and persistently the Israeli government’s determination to ethnically cleanse Palestine and to cause brutality, famine, death and destruction to a whole people and their country.

Courage in public life is crucial. To that end, we urge an Australian Labor government to acknowledge the genocide occurring in Gaza, the slaughters on the West Bank, to support South African initiatives before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to support the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to follow the example of Ireland, Spain and Norway by recognising the State of Palestine.

We support without reservation the letter from over 800 public servants charging Australia with complicity in genocide and with supplying arms or with the means of assembling arms to enable Israel to continue massacres against Palestinians.

Refreshing and reasserting leadership on those issues would see Australia crafting an independent foreign policy, never unduly influenced by Washington let alone by cooperation with a state which always flouts international law.     

Reference to Hamas atrocities of October 2023 cannot provide justification for the unhindered genocide committed by Israel in Gaza and on the West Bank. In comparisons of Israel and Hamas, there is no ‘moral equivalence’. Even a cursory reading of history reveals decades of Israeli terrorism and massacres of Palestinians by Israeli forces which far outstrip the Hamas murders of October 2023.

Australia’s attitude to Israel and to the civil liberties of Palestinians should be influenced by a reading of history, by adherence to the rules of international law and by ideals of a common humanity.

Yours sincerely,

Prof. Stuart Rees AM,

On Behalf of Colleagues:

Dr. Wajeehah Aayeshah, Curriculum Design in the Arts, University of Melbourne

Mohamad Abdalla, Islamic Thought & Education, Univ. of South Australia

Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah, Futures Fellow, School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University

Dr. Natalie Aboustate, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide

Dr. Rojan Afrouz, Global, Urban, Social Studies RMIT University

Professor Bart Anderson, School of Psychology, University of Sydney

Danielle Andree, School of Art, RMIT University

Lily Atkinson, School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide

Professor Thalia Anthony, Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney.

Dr. Stephen Atkinson, SA School of Art, University of South Australia

Dr. Melanie Baak, Faculty of Education, Univ. of South Australia

Professor Emeritus Wendy Bacon, former Head, Centre for Independent Journalism, UTS

Associate Professor Barbara Baird, Women’s & Gender Studies, Flinders Univ.

Associate Professor Ali Gumillya Baker, Arts & Social Sciences, Flinders University

Dr. Caryl Barnes, Associate Professor Psychiatry, University of Sydney

Dr. Frances Barrett, Art, Design & Architecture, Monash University

Dr. Margaret Beavis, GP, Public Health Nuclear Issues, University of Melbourne

Professor Mark Beeson, Australia-China Institute, Univ. of Technology, Sydney

Dr. Michael Beggs, Political Economy, University of Sydney

Dr. Alison Broinowski, former Visiting Fellow, Australian National University

Professor Emeritus Philip Boyce, Psychiatry, Sydney Univ. Medical School

Dr. Tuba Boz, Global, Urban & Social Studies, RMIT University

Professor Linda Briskman, Social Work, Western Sydney University

Dr. Susan Britton, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales

Dr. David Brophy, Modern Chinese History, University of Sydney

Dr. Scott Burchill, School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Deakin University

Professor Emeritus Joseph Camilleri, International Relations, La Trobe

Dr. Na’ama Carlin, Humanities & Languages, UNSW

Dr. Bree Carlton, Criminology, Social Political Sciences, University of Melbourne

Dr. John Clegg, Political Economy, University of Sydney

Dr. David Coady, Humanities, Philosophy, Gender, University of Tasmania

Associate Professor Kate Coleman, Arts Education, University of Melbourne

Dr. Daniel Connell, Artist, Arts Educator, Flinders & Univ. of South Australia

Dr. Jayson Cooper, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne

Dr. Gregory Crocetti, Biochemistry, Microbiology, University of Queensland

Associate Professor Joanna Cruikshank, ARC Discovery, Deakin University

Tessa Cunningham, Education, Psychology, Social Work, Flinders University

Dr. Kathryn Daley, Social Equity Research Centre, RMIT University

Dr. Kamilia Eriani, Social and Political Science, University of Melbourne

Dr. Freya Higgins Desbiolles, Business Unit, University of South Australia

Dr. Jack Desbiolles, Agricultural Research Engineer, Univ. of South Australia

Dr. Abigail Diplock, Education Futures, University of South Australia

Caitrin Donovan, History & Philosophy of Science, Univ. of Sydney

Professor Maria Fiatarone Singh, Geriatrics, Sports Science, University of Sydney

Associate Professor Gerhard Fischer, Humanities & Languages, UNSW

Dr. Prudence Flowers, Department of History, Flinders University

Associate Professor Charlie Fox, Hon. Fellow, School of Humanities, Univ. WA

Dr. Tami Gadir, Music Industry Research, RMIT University

Dr. Nathan Gardner, Melbourne Law school, University of Melbourne

Associate Professor Nidhi Garg, Neurology, School of Medicine. Univ. of Sydney

Dr. Alison Gibberd, Epidemiology, Global Health, University of Melbourne

Dr. Tristan Graham, Life Sciences, Biomedicine, University of Melbourne

Professor Susan Goodwin, Policy Studies, University of Sydney

Dr. Jan Gothard, Adjunct Associate Prof., Murdoch University

Dr. Leia Greenslade, Health Sciences Griffith Univ. & Jewish Council

Dr. Sahar Ghumkhor, Criminology, University of Melbourne

Associate Professor Marianne Hanson, University of Queensland

Dr. Julian Harris, Education, University of Melbourne

Christiana Harous, College of Education, Flinders University

Professor Dennis Haskell, Emeritus Prof., University of Western Australia

Dr. Haidee Hicks, Global, Urban, Social Studies, RMIT

Siti Nur Hidayah, Education Futures, University of South Australia

Dr. Richard Hil, Adjunct Professor Health Sciences, Griffith University

Associate Professor Anne Honey, Mental Health, University of Sydney

Dr. Joe Hughes, English & Theatre Studies, University of Melbourne

Nathan Fioritti, School of Social Sciences, Monash University

Professor Emeritus Jim Ife, Social Policy, Curtin University

Rosie Isaac, Faculty Fine Arts & Music, University of Melbourne

Dr. Sacha Jamieson, Social Work & Policy Studies, University of Sydney

Professor Kanishka Jayasuriya, Politics International Studies, Murdoch Univ

Professor Hubertus Jersmann, Thoracic Medicine, University of Adelaide

Associate Professor Diana Johns, Criminology, University of Melbourne

Dr. Alice Jones, Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide

Dr. Evan Jones, Political Economy, University of Sydney

Dr. Mairwen Jones, Psychology, Faculty of Medicine Univ. of Sydney

Professor John Keane, Politics & Government, University of Sydney

Dr. Michael Keem, Neuropsychiatry, Monash University

Dr. David Kelly, Global, Urban, Social Studies, RMIT University

Emeritus Professor Jane Kenway, Monash University

Associate Professor Catherine Kevin, History, Flinders University

Zoe Keys, Women’s & Gender Studies, College of Humanities, Flinders Univ.

Dr. Mary Lane, former Social Work Social Policy, University of Sydney

Professor John Langmore, Hon. Prof. Fellow, Social & Political Sciences, Univ. of Melbourne

Dr. Susie Latham, School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University

Associate Professor Jake Lynch, Peace Studies, University of Sydney

Dr. Belinda MacGill, Education Futures, University of South Australia

Dr. Kenneth Macnab, former Historian, CPACS, University of Sydney

Dr. Hannah McCann, Culture & Communication, University of Melbourne

Dr. Katie Maher, Education, University of South Australia

Dr. Peta Malins, Criminology & Justice Studies, RMIT

Dr. Peter Manning, Professor of Journalism, University of Technology, Sydney

Dr. Jamie Manolev, Education Futures, University of South Australia

Professor Fethi Mansouri, Institute for Citizenship & Globalization, Deakin Univ

Dr. Jessica Marian, English & Theatre Studies, University of Melbourne

Danila Marini, Health & Medicine, University of Adelaide

Prof. Emeritus Brian Martin, Social Sciences, University of Wollongong

Dr. Eve Mayes, Faculty of Education, Deakin University

Associate Professor Nadeem Memon, Education & Social Inclusion, Univ., SA

Associate Professor Crystal McKinnon, History, Law, Justice, Univ. of Melbourne

Dr. Hannah Middleton, anthropologist, Peace Studies, University of Sydney

Dr. Benjamin Miller, English and Writing, University of Sydney

Dr. Erica Miller, Social Inquiry, La Trobe University

Dr. Emily Miller, Justice and Society, University of South Australia

Jemma Moody-Pugh, Health & Social Development, Deakin University

Dr. Angela Molloy Murphy, Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne

Jane Morphett, School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide

Dr. Monique Mulholland, College of Humanities, Flinders University

Dr. Connie Marguerite Musolino, Stretton Health Equity, University of Adelaide

Dr. Sunam Mustafa, School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide

Professor Chris Nash, founding Professor of Journalism, Monash University

Associate Professor Sharlene Nipperess, Global, Urban Social Studies, RMIT

Dr. Christopher O’Neill, Science and Technology Deakin University

Rebekah Ormond, Health & Social Development, Deakin University

Professor Diane Otto, Human Rights Law, University of Melbourne

Dr. Allan Patience, Social & Political Sciences, University of Melbourne

Dr. Erik Paul, Hon Research Fellow CPACS University of Sydney

Cambrey Payne, Sociology, Criminology, Gender Studies, Univ. of Adelaide

Dr. Joshua Pocius, Sociology Gender Studies, University of Melbourne

Dr. Gideon Polya, Biochemistry, Humanitarianism, La Trobe University

Associate Professor Amanda Porter, Criminal Law, University of Melbourne

Dr. Fereshteh Pourkazemi, Discipline of Physiotherapy, University of Sydney

Dr. Scott Poynting, Adjunct Professor QUT and at Charles Sturt University

Dr. Lisa Radford, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne

Professor Emeritus Stuart Rees, University of Sydney

Professor Patrice Rey, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney

Professor Henry Reynolds, University of Tasmania

Dr. Nick Riemer, Dept. of English, University of Sydney

Dr. Kim Robinson, Health & Social Development Deakin University

Dr. Peter Ross, Humanities and Languages, UNSW

Dr. Sophie Rudolph, Faculty of Education, Univ. of Melbourne

Associate Professor Tilman Ruff, Population & Global Health, Univ. of Melbourne

Paula Sanchez, Faculty of Nursing, Western Sydney University

Dr. Tatjana Seizova-Cajic, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney

Dr. Kate Seymour, Education, Psychology, Social Work, Flinders University

Professor Emeritus Ahmad Shboul, Arabic Studies, University of Sydney

Dr. Russell Shuttleworth, Health & Social Development, Deakin University

Dr. Jordana Silverstein, Aust. Jewish History, Refugee Policy, Law, Univ. of Melbourne

Associate Professor Emeritus Peter Slezak, Philosophy, UNSW

Professor David Shearman, E/Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide

Tom Short, Critical Mental Health, RMIT University

Dr. Charlie Sofo, Design & Architecture, Monash University

Dr. Amy Spiers, School of Art, RMIT University

Professor Emeritus Frank Stilwell, Political Economy, University of Sydney

Dr. Laura Sumrall, Medical Microbiome Research, University of Wollongong

Dr. Marcelo Svirsky, School of Humanities & Social Inquiry, Univ. of Wollongong

Dr. Anna Szorenyi, Sociology, Criminology, Gender Studies, Univ. of Adelaide

Dr. Mathew Taft, English, Creative Writing, La Trobe University

Dr. Richard Tanter, Honorary Professor, University of Melbourne

Natalie Jane Thomas, School of Social Sciences, University of Adelaide

Dr. Nikki Wedgwood, Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Univ. of Sydney

Dr. Greta Weston Werner, School of Architecture, University of Sydney

Professor Robert White, Literature, University of Western Australia

Dr. Nichlas Wickham, Haematology, Pathology, MAPW, South Australia

Dr. Sarah Williams, Global, Urban, Social Studies, RMIT University

Rosie Yasmin, Youth Research Collective, University of Melbourne

Professor Lobna Yassine, Social Work, University of Sydney

Associate Professor Muhammed Yakin, Medical Sciences, Univ. of Adelaide

Dr. Lew Zipin, Sociology, Education, Univ. of South Australia

Dr.Reihana Mohideen, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne

 

Interested readers may wish to view:

Petition EN6173 – Australia to declare recognition of the State of Palestine

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