In short:
Mehreen Faruqi has refused to call for Hamas to be dismantled, saying that is a decision for Palestinians.
The Greens deputy also claimed Labor had launched a campaign of “vilification” against its former member, Senator Fatima Payman.
What’s next?
The Greens say they will continue to pressure the government on Palestinian statehood and sanctions against Israel
Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has refused to say whether terror group Hamas should be dismantled, saying that should be a decision made by Palestinians once they are granted statehood.
The Greens have been vocal in parliament about the need to recognise Palestine as a state, and have accused the government of being “complicit in genocide” by refusing to sanction Israel over the war in Gaza.
Speaking on ABC’s Insiders, Senator Faruqi said Hamas was a listed terror organisation and the Greens were demanding no change to that.
But asked repeatedly whether Hamas should be dismantled, or whether Palestinians should be allowed to choose to be ruled by Hamas under their own state, the senator avoided answering.
“Listen, the situation with Hamas is, I can’t keep repeating it again and again, it has nothing to do with Palestinian statehood and Palestinian self-determination,” Senator Faruqi said.
“The Palestinians need to decide where they want to go with their own region.
“It’s not up to me to say who should be gone or not.”
Vilification campaign against Payman
After a tumultuous week in politics ending in first-term senator Fatima Payman’s exit from Labor, Senator Faruqi claimed the government had launched a campaign of “vilification” against her for speaking out on Palestine.
Senator Payman quit on Thursday to join the crossbench, after she was suspended from Labor’s caucus for voting against the party on a motion to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Senator Faruqi said even as the young Labor senator was considering her actions, there were “unsourced whispers” from Labor MPs “vilifying” Senator Payman for her expression of her faith.
“I think being the other brown Muslim woman in the senate, I can understand far better than most what Senator Payman has been going through. Not just over the last few weeks, but just in general,” Senator Faruqi said.
“You know, I have been vilified for strong positions that I have taken. And so, I can understand what Senator Payman is going through.”
Within hours of leaving the party, media reports also emerged citing senior Labor figures who questioned Senator Payman’s eligibility to remain in the party, because of a potential dual citizenship.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said on Friday it would be “pretty red hot” if Labor had known there was a constitutional issue with Senator Payman while she was still a member of the party.
Senator Faruqi also confirmed the Greens did not make representations for Senator Payman to join their party.
But the Greens have vowed to use the winter break to pressure other Labor politicians to speak out on Palestine, including MPs Peter Khalil, Ged Kearney and Ed Husic, by campaigning in their electorates.