Photo: A Palestinian mother holds her starving child – a devastating consequence of Israel’s blockade and deliberate starvation campaign in Gaza. In every famine, children starve first because their small bodies cannot withstand prolonged deprivation.
As a nation that honours its fallen each ANZAC Day, Australia now faces a challenge that tests whether remembrance means merely ritual or genuine commitment to justice.
The crisis in Gaza and the West Bank is no longer a matter of distant debate—it is an unfolding genocide, visible in the deliberate starvation of civilians and a staggering death toll.
Official counts cite approximately 46,000 deaths in Gaza a more accurate estimate by trusted legal and humanitarian voices puts the number at a devastating 360,000—14% of the population, equivalent to losing nearly 4 million Australians in a single year.
This is not just the consequence of bombs, but of hunger and disease used as weapons. Now is the “never again” moment for our generation. To stand aside, with the truth in plain view, is not neutrality—it is complicity.
If our politicians had any backbone or principles, they could take action in spite of the Zionist and Israeli lobby, US pressure and the media.
The obligation: R2P and its application
R2P, adopted by UN member states in 2005, is a principle that obliges every state to act to prevent or halt genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity—especially when the government perpetrating or permitting these crimes is unwilling or unable to protect its own population.
Under R2P, states first seek diplomatic solutions. If these fail, the international community must not sit idle: action is mandated.
Why R2P applies to Gaza
The scale of civilian killing since October 2023 already met the legal bar for R2P activation long ago with multiple UN experts and the International Court of Justice finding a plausible case of genocide.
As the Security Council, meant to act as the world’s moral conscience, remains deadlocked, primarily due to repeated US vetoes R2P applies.
Concrete steps for Australia and the world
- Official Recognition and Public Declaration
Acknowledge the Plausible Genocide: Issue an unequivocal statement recognizing that the risk—and actuality—of genocide exists in Gaza.
Condemn Starvation Tactics: Publicly affirm that the deliberate blocking of food, aid, and medical care constitutes use of starvation as a weapon.
- Suspend military and political support
Cease Arms Transfers and Security Cooperation: Suspend all military trade and technological cooperation with Israel while credible accusations of genocide and war crimes remain.
Review Defence Partnerships: Undertake an independent review of all government and corporate contracts related to Israel.
- Activate Uniting for Peace—UNGA Resolution 377
Push for emergency General Assembly measures: When the Security Council is paralysed, UNGA Resolution 377 allows the General Assembly to recommend collective measures. Australia should:
- Call for an emergency session focused on Gaza.
- Demand implementation of ceasefires, humanitarian corridors, and respect for international law.
- Mobilize international support for humanitarian access—including air and sea corridors bypassing blockades.
- Advocate recognition of the State of Palestine on 1967 borders and demand an end to occupation.
- Place expulsion of Israel from the UN on the table
Support Suspension or Expulsion: If Israel’s grave breaches persist, Australia should support moves under Article 6 of the UN Charter and UNGA Resolution 337A to suspend or expel a member state for persistent, egregious violations of UN principles.
- Lead multilateral and regional initiatives
Form Regional Coalitions: Work with ASEAN, Pacific partners, and other willing states to issue joint protection statements and demand accountability.
Support International Investigations: Advocate and fund independent commissions to document and report on violations.
- Ensure accountability and humanitarian access
Coordinate with Civil Society: Join in advancing global civil society and academic appeals for decisive accountability, expose taxpayer-funded complicity and holding corporations to account for war-related profit.
Back ICC and ICJ Proceedings: Support all international legal processes, including gathering, preserving, and sharing evidence.
Facilitate Aid Delivery: Fund and coordinate humanitarian airdrops, maritime access, and direct aid convoys, leveraging Australia’s resources and regional standing.
The ANZAC legacy cannot be reduced to words or wreaths. It insists on standing with those who are vulnerable—even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it’s costly. Australia’s allegiance to “never again” demands more than diplomatic gestures: it demands decisive, courageous action in the international arena.
Legislating accountability: The Red Lines Package
In light of the ongoing catastrophe, it is time for Australia to turn words into laws. Parliament must urgently pass the Red Lines Package—a suite of legislation designed to sever complicity and align Australia’s economic, security, and financial practices with its obligations under R2P and international law.
Genocide Risk Reporting Bill 2024: Mandates defence-related businesses and government agencies assess and report on genocide risks in their supply chains and operations, establishing transparency and real consequences for complicity.
Divesting from Illegal Israeli Settlements Bill 2024: Prohibits Australian public money from being invested in businesses operating in or profiting from illegal Israeli settlements, ensuring that Australia does not bankroll occupation, dispossession, or annexation.
Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2024: Amends existing law to ban exports of defence goods or technologies that could enable war crimes, genocide, or crimes against humanity.
Collectively, these bills would place legal teeth behind the phrase “never again.”
For the Australian government, the time for platitudes is over. The courage of the ANZACs must not become a hollow memory in the face of mass starvation and genocide.
The path ahead is clear: it is time for Australia to pass the Red Lines Package of laws, use every legal lever—including R2P, UNGA Resolution 377, and full diplomatic pressure—up to and including expulsion of Israel from the United Nations.
To do less is to fail not only the people of Gaza but the very values Australia claims to defend.
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