End Ban on Palestinian Travel

Petition at https://www.change.org/p/israel-s-ethnic-cleansing-of-palestine

To the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives and Members of the House of Representatives

This is a petition for the Australian government to relax travel restrictions on Palestinians fleeing Israeli violence by occupation forces in the West Bank and Gaza.

Please fill out the petition on Change.org @ https://chng.it/Kx2gSw9k

Background and reasons for the Petition

Over 10 years ago I started a petition about this family … see https://chng.it/QCDcTvrj

Targeted killings by Israeli occupation forces as per UN REPORT ON THE WEST BANK DATED 28th October 2022:

“At least 118 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem this year (2022), including 26 children and five women. Three Palestinians, including one child, were killed by settlers or settlement guards, while another child was killed by either a settler or by Israeli security forces. … Any killing resulting from the use of firearms or targeting of individuals who do not present an imminent threat to life or of serious injury, may amount to extrajudicial executions – an egregious violation of the right to life – and willful killings, under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which is applicable in the entire occupied Palestinian territory.” – UN Commission on Israeli occupation of Palestine

Palestinian Right to Resist Occupation
All this year (2022) the Israeli government has encouraged murderous activities on the West Bank … settlers and soldiers have been given freelance approval for targeted killings on Palestinians. Hundreds have been shot. Many Palestinian families live in refugee camps in Nablus set up in the 1950s. One of the oldest UN camps, Al Ein, is near the old city of Nablus.  All of the West Bank is subject to the violence by the occupation forces but it is particularly intense in Jenin, Nablus and Hebron. This is where the Palestinian resistance to the occupation is strongest.

Since the 26th October 2022, the Big Ride for Palestine (Australia) has been writing and talking to the authorities here in Australia Australia about the situation on the West Bank. We are trying to assist a family from a refugee camp on the West Bank whose apartment has been raided and trashed by Israeli occupation forces.  Their youngest son has been threatened and his phone smashed.

This is a war situation.  While governments and media discuss other hot spots in the world, namely Ukraine and the South China Sea, a full blown conflict has developed under their noses in Palestine.

Palestine is an emergency and needs to be taken seriously. Over seven years Big Ride for Palestine (Australia) has helped raise money for projects in Gaza, West Bank and in a Palestinian refugee camp in Beirut.

We have asked the representative of the Palestinian Authority in Australia, Izzat Abdulhadi, for his assistance to get travel documents but it is hard without a change of policy by the Australian Labor government to recognise this emergency as it did with its relaxation of visas for victims of the Ukraine war.

Another parallel in Australian history is the Colombo plan that was used to develope human potential in South East Asia. This was a very successful program. The father of Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong was a beneficiary of the Colombo Plan. We propose Palestinians come to Australia to acquire trade and professional skills, work here and take those skills back to Palestine to help build its economy. The Australian Government has a particular responsibility because it routinely votes with the United States by vetoing Palestinian statehood in the UN. This has denied Palestinians the right to build their own economy.

This is despite reports from a United Nations Commission of a judge, a lawyer and an Australia Human Rights lawyer calling on Israeli occupation forces to stop its targeted killings of Palestinians. The UN has set up a commission of inquiry to look into the occupation. It published a preliminary report but is not due to publish its findings on the occupation till later next year.

Meanwhile refugees are trying to flee Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. Many have trade and professional skills and could work in these countries. But, without travel documents, Palestinians are unable to leave, they are held captive in refugee camps on the West Bank and Gaza.  Some have managed to come to Australia under 457 visas sponsored by companies needing their skills.

Mothers are concerned for the safety of their sons and daughters. Fathers are trying to stay out of administrative detention, illegal under international law that Israel regularly flaunts. Being stateless persons, Palestinians can’t get travel documents strong enough to flee even though they have families and friends abroad who will assist them. Their families and friends  live in constant fear for their loved ones.

It is like the occupation has unleashed another Al Nakba as it did in 1948 under UN protection fueled by European guilt over the holocaust.

The Australian government has acted to provide sanctuary to Ukrainian families but not to Palestinian families. They refused sanctuary to Syrian families seeking refuge in Australia until the United States government allowed some Syrians to flee here.

We ask if people to support an emergency petition to the Australian government to assist this family and others in getting travel documents but have yet to receive a positive response. In a world that makes judgement on who is worthy and who is unworthy it is hard for innocent people caught up in this emergency.

Lack of independence in foreign policy
The Australian government simply follows the United States on most of these issues. This must stop, people deserve a government that is truly independent and refuses to get drawn into wars like Iraq, Afghanistan and the US proxy war with Russia in Ukraine.

As the United States midterm elections have shown there is a slight drift towards Republican conservatism and those Democrats that have retained their seats in the Senate or in the Congress focus mainly on individual rights of US citizens at home and make no mention of the murderous proxy wars that the US is conducting abroad, the blockade of Cuba, the sanctions against Iran, likely US involvement in blowing up Nordstream pipeline … all intended to keep their own economy afloat in a changed world where China is the major economic power. Rights like to proper affordable health care does not extend to the poor, to many Latinos, or to many African-Americans. At least, under Medicare, Australia has a public health system bit it too is being put under threat.

Just Peace is calling on people to recognise Palestine National Day next Tuesday, 15th Nov 2022 at 8am-9am in Queens Gardens. Also the Palestinian film festival is currently showing excellent films made by Palestinians and their supporters about their struggle. Details are below.

Ian Curr
The Big Ride for Palestine 🇵🇸 Australia
10 Nov 2022

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