Israeli plans for Gaza are ‘ethnic cleansing’, says former minister Ed Husic

Labor’s Ed Husic says Israel’s plan to annex Gaza is a form of “ethnic cleansing” and that the Netanyahu government has “atrociously managed” the conflict.

Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan last week which military officials have said would displace most Palestinians in the strip.

Mr Husic, who was dropped from the ministry amid a factional fight last week, said it was vital the international community continued to focus on the conflict.

Earlier in the week, Foreign Minister Penny Wong warned colleagues against politicising the Middle East conflict saying it was important not to bring the conflict to Australia.

But Mr Husic said he would continue speaking up on behalf of Muslim communities and those concerned about Palestine, saying he has more leeway to do so now he is no longer on Labor’s frontbench.

“We’ve seen just in the past week or so, the Israeli parliament say it wants to annex Gaza, and, effectively, that is a form of ethnic cleansing,” he said.

“We’ve seen the starvation of its people through the failure to provide humanitarian assistance.

“And if I might add, that’s against international humanitarian law, starving people out in conflict is a war crime.”

Asked if he had more freedom to speak about the conflict following his axing from Cabinet, the former Minister for Industry and Science, said:

“I don’t think I could ever stay silent in the face of innocent civilians being slaughtered in their tens of thousands and being starved out of Gaza,” he said.

“So I tried to find a way to be able to speak at the Cabinet table and speak elsewhere, to be able to make sure that communities we represent know that their voices are heard.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said it had always been Mr Husic’s right to speak out on the issue of the Gazan people.

“The Jewish community disagrees with him strongly on that, but on anti-Semitism, on the racial hatred and safety and security of the Australian Jewish community, he has always stood in support of us and with integrity,” he said.

“It is useful to have differing viewpoints around the cabinet table so that the debate can be had.”

Mr Aghion likened it to the way the major parties sought to have more women elected and appointed to cabinet, to recognise women’s issues and ensure they were fully considered.

“Although we’re a very small community, I don’t think it is any different when you start to think about matters of the day, which, in our case, are matters concerning Israel and the safety and security of the Australian Jewish people,” he said.