From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Hundreds protest against Israel outside Australia’s parliament, lawmaker calls to ‘sanction Israel’
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Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather outside Australia’s Parliament House, calling for the government to impose sanctions on Israel after Australia joined another 27 countries in issuing a joint statement, saying the war in Gaza “must end now.”
Security guards prevent 15 demonstrators from entering the public gallery of the Senate while Attorney-General Sam Mostyn, who represents Australia’s head of state, King Charles III, spoke to lawmakers, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports.
But Sen. Mehreen Faruqi, deputy leader of the minor party Australian Greens, protests by holding up a sign in the chamber during Mostyn’s speech that says: “Gaza is starving, words won’t feed them, sanction Israel.”
Australia has imposed financial and travel sanctions on individual Israelis, including government ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. But the Australian government has not imposed wider sanctions on the state.
However, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke describes the joint statement as the strongest words his government had used on the conflict in Gaza.
“When you can make a statement together with so many other significant powers, then we’re all hoping that there’ll be something that will break this,” Burke tells ABC.
“What we are watching on the other side of the world is indefensible. The hostages still need to be released, but the war needs to end,” Burke adds.
But senior opposition lawmaker Jonathon Duniam describes Australia joining 27 other nations in signing the statement as “alarming.”
“There is more to this issue than this letter betrays and I think it is a sad turn of events for our government to have joined with other countries in signing this letter,” Duniam says.
A large group of Australians is gathering outside the Australian Federal Parliament in Canberra, urging urgent action as Parliament opens. Their call reflects a strong desire for change and support for important issues. pic.twitter.com/ycmxqtrjTQ
— Basman Alashi (@BasmanGaza) July 22, 2025
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