Fatima Payman calls it quits with Labor in major split over Palestine
6 Min Read
After being suspended from Labor’s federal parliamentary caucus, the Western Australia senator has resigned from the Labor Party over the issue of Palestinian statehood.
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Fatima Payman volunteers at Food Bank on May 24, 2024. (Facebook)
Western Australian senator Fatima Payman has resigned from the Labor party but will continue to serve in the upper house as an independent, marking a significant split with the Albanese government over the issue of Palestine.
Previously suspended indefinitely from Labor’s federal parliamentary caucus "after warning that she was prepared to cross the floor again," Payman announced her resignation from the party on Thursday. This move follows two weeks of perceived mistreatment over her stance on the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, which has resulted in the killing of nearly 38,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children.
During a press conference on Thursday, Payman expressed that she felt “deeply torn” and saw “no middle ground,” believing that her principles no longer aligned with the leadership of the Labor Party.
“With a heavy heart but a clear conscience, I announce my resignation from the Australian Labor Party. I have informed the prime minister that, effective immediately, I will sit on the crossbench to represent Western Australia,” she stressed.
“This has been the most difficult decision of my life and put me in a tough position and like I told the prime minister on multiple occasions and my colleagues that this is a matter I cannot compromise on. It is a matter of principle and when I voted across the floor, it was on conscience,” she added.
Fatima Payman: “Unlike my colleagues, I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of injustice”
— 6 News Australia (@6NewsAU) July 4, 2024
Watch live: https://t.co/u4vdMs07ru#6NewsAU | https://t.co/eU0kSSqhk6 pic.twitter.com/HRiNtr0Is6
She mentioned having multiple discussions with the prime minister, deputy prime minister, and foreign minister about Palestine, addressing the issue on various fronts.
“I felt I exhausted every opportunity to raise my concerns, whether it was back in November of last year or more recently, and I felt there was no place for me to continue these conversations, and decisions were already made by the time it was brought to caucus,” she emphasized.
'This is a genocide'
Elected to the Senate in 2022 for a six-year term representing Western Australia, the 29-year-old senator noted there is no rule against an elected senator leaving their party and remaining in the Senate. However, Labor emphasized that Payman was in the upper house solely because she was an ALP candidate.
Payman stated that she believes she can best serve her constituents as an independent senator.
The announcement came after it was confirmed on Tuesday that Australian political strategist and so-called preference whisperer Glenn Druery had been having “informal conversations” with Payman and Muslim community groups, although Druery stated there was no contact involved.
On Monday, Payman expressed feeling “exiled” by the party. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned he would like Payman to "rejoin the team," noting that this option was available if she agreed to adhere to collective caucus decisions.
Weaponization of anti-Semitism against Israeli critics, yet another example
In recent months, Payman has been increasingly outspoken in condemning "Israel’s" military operations in Gaza. She said in May, “My conscience has been uneasy for far too long and I must call this out for what it is. This is a genocide and we need to stop pretending otherwise.”
At the time, Payman said “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, which she stated affirmed “a desire for Palestinians to live in their homeland as free and equal citizens, neither dominating others nor being dominated over."
Simultaneously, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry criticized Payman’s use of the phrase, claiming it was “an old Arab supremacist slogan calling for the destruction of Israel and the ethnic cleansing of its Jewish population."
The day after Payman used the phrase in May, Labor senators supported a coalition motion alleging the slogan was “frequently used by those who seek to intimidate Jewish Australians via acts of antisemitism."
It is worth noting that “Israel” has always misused and overused the "anti-Semitism" ploy to cast itself as a victim in disguise, when in fact it’s an oppressive occupation. Through this constructed narrative and manipulation of narrative, “Israel” attempts to drive attention away from its massacres and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, rebranding them as “clashes” or “conflicts” under the guise of protecting Jewish identity and “self-defense". This manipulation transcends politics, military strategies, and rhetoric, as it silences dissent against Zionism, diverts attention from Israeli war crimes, and falsely accuses critics of being anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic, even when the critics are themselves Jews.
Payman denied the accusation of antisemitism and pointed out that the founding charter of the Israeli ruling Likud party stated; "Between the sea and the Jordan River, there will only be Israeli sovereignty."
In a related context, Payman's advocacy reached a climax on June 25 in the Senate when she defied her party to align with the Greens on a motion urging "the Senate to recognize the state of Palestine" as an urgent matter.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong had tried but failed to modify the motion to specify that recognition of Palestine should be part of a peace process supporting a two-state solution and lasting peace.
Had Wong's amendment been successful, all Labor senators would have been able to support the motion.
This is happening as pro-Palestine protesters scaled the roof of Australia's Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday, displaying banners that accused "Israel" of war crimes and advocating for Palestinian freedom.
One of the banners read "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," a common slogan among pro-Palestine demonstrators.
Pro-Palestinian protestors have climbed onto the roof of Parliament, saying “Australia is a country founded on genocide” #auspol pic.twitter.com/EX85lqnQpj
— Finn McHugh (@FinnianMchugh) July 4, 2024
One of the protesters delivered a speech through a megaphone accusing the Israeli government of committing war crimes.
"We will not forget, we will not forgive and we will continue to resist," the protester stressed.
During the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Australia has seen numerous pro-Palestine protests, including weekly demonstrations in major cities and elite universities.
