International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2023
Wednesday 29 November 2023
Private Members Statement
Ms CLANCY (Elder) (15:58): I would like to use this time on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People to say a few words. On Monday night, our six year old lay between us in our bed because the storm was scaring her. The bright lightning and loud thunder made her worried, but she was safe and, despite her tight cuddles, I think she knew she was safe. The same cannot be said for the children in Gaza. The bright lights of lightning and loud bangs of thunder are replaced with the bloodcurdling sounds of war.
The children of Gaza are not scared of lightning: they are scared of bombs. The children of Gaza are so desperate that even during a thunderstorm they stand out in the street with their mouths wide open, hoping to catch a drop of the only safe drinking water they have seen in days.
In Australia, we are rightly horrified when there is news of the death of one Australian child. When we hear of the death of thousands of children, it becomes almost unfathomable, impossible to comprehend, but we must try. At last night's vigil on the steps of this parliament, the names and photos of many of the children who have been killed were on display. These children were the nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, cousins and grandchildren of their families, and their lives have been devastatingly cut short.
While violence, dispossession and suffering have been prevalent in Gaza for decades, conditions in this small region of occupied Palestine have deteriorated beyond belief in the past 16 years. The median age in Gaza is 18 years. Clean water is unavailable to 95 per cent of the population; 80 per cent of the population relies on aid for food. For those who do survive these brutal conditions, many are met with a bombing campaign described by some horrifyingly as 'mowing the grass'. Today, on International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and every day, I stand in solidarity with you.
