2024-04-23
The Greens are calling on PM Albanese and Foreign Minister Wong to issue a formal apology and urgently inject more funding into UNRWA after an independent review confirmed Israel’s UNRWA allegations were baseless and Australia suspended funding with no evidence.
Greens Deputy Leader and spokesperson for International Aid and Global Justice Senator Mehreen Faruqi, is calling on the Labor government to issue a formal apology for halting funding without any evidence of Israel’s claims, significantly and urgently increase funding to UNRWA, and sanction Israel immediately.
Quotes attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi:
“This report confirms what so many of us knew. There was no evidence of Israel’s allegations then, and there is none now.
“Minister Wong, who admitted to not seeing a shred of evidence, and Prime Minister Albanese must make a formal apology and immediately increase aid to UNRWA.
“The Australian government's cutting of life-saving aid funding to Palestinians while they were being massacred by Israel, was an absolute disgrace and inexcusable on every level.
“Because of the indefensible decision of the Australian government and other countries to cut funding, UNRWA lost $450 million worth of life-saving aid for Palestinians facing Israel’s genocide and starvation.
“At the very least, the government must immediately and significantly increase funding to UNRWA, to not only make up for the 48 days of lost funding, but in recognition of the horrific circumstances currently faced by Palestinians because of Israel’s war on Gaza.
“Labor must wake up from their unquestioning support of Israel and sanction it immediately.”