Open Letter: To Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on the Global Sumud Flotilla's mission to Gaza.

The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP

Prime Minister of Australia

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you to call for full sanctions on Benjamin Netanyahu's government, Israel and the expulsion of Israel's ambassador.

I write to you to express my grave concern for the people of Palestine.

I write to you to let you know the sheer anger I and others have over the genocide of Palestine by Israel.

The illegal blocking of aid to Gaza and the abduction of the heroes (who sailed courageously through drone attacks and psychological warfare) is a crime against humanity.

In Tunisia, the Flotilla was bombed by Israel. The seventh country that Israel has attacked. As they neared their port in Gaza, the world watched on and willed the aid to shore. Aid that was for starving children, women and men. Children in Gaza have now lost their lives to the agony of dehydration and starvation, all because this aid did not reach Gaza.

Israel ambushed the Flotilla and unlawfully arrested those delivering aid.

Recent news has disturbingly indicated that those heroes of the Flotilla, under unlawful arrest and illegal detention, have been subjected to inhumane conditions and torture. Prohibited under international law and against all human decency. The attacks and mental anguish that have been explicitly targeted towards Greta Thunberg are outrageous.

Australia must make clear where it stands. Do we stand in favour of human rights, do we stand in favour of democracy, and do we stand against a world where those with might and power can dictate how others deserve the very right to life?

I was in correspondence with an individual who shared my views and political leanings, and who, like me, expressed my outrage at the October 7th attack. I shed tears for those young adult attendees at the Peace Festival. I shed tears for those who dwelt in Kibbutz. Both left-leaning political opponents of Benjamin Netanyahu. They were left unprotected in a terrible attack as Netanyahu's might was exerted in the West Bank, focused on committing the crimes of settler occupation.

However, in a matter of weeks, the individual I was friendly with took the position that every child, every woman, every man, every non-combatant, every life in Gaza, was an existential threat to Israel. This ended our communication. Maintaining a friendship with someone who held such a view was antithetical to my values.

Now, my experience may be anecdotal, but it is impossible to make any counterargument than the eradication of the Palestinian people as being the official policy of the IDF and Israel's political leadership.

Benjamin Netanyahu oversaw the worst security failure in modern history. Yet, despite this, he has been allowed, and emboldened, to destroy all of Palestine. If you are to continue to disregard Gaza, Mr Prime Minister, then that is to be complicit in Benjamin Netanyahu's crimes.

The UN has declared the events in Gaza a genocide. One hundred and twenty countries voted for such a resolution at the United Nations. A hundred and fifty countries now recognise the Palestinian state, Australia among them.

The world watched on as vital aid and humanitarians from the Global Sumud Flotilla were abducted. The world watched the heroes on the Flotilla (people who embody the finest examples of humanity), heroes risking themselves to save the lives of others, now being illegally abducted by Israel. Mr Prime Minister, if you and I were in the situation that those in Gaza are in, then these same people of the Global Sumud Flotilla would be on a boat coming to save you and me. They must be cherished and protected.

There is no doubt that one of the weapons currently used by Israel to commit genocide is famine. The abduction of these aid boats is so that Israel does not lose famine as a weapon of genocide. Children will die in Gaza because this aid did not reach them.

The left is losing the battle for ideas, for hearts and minds. Especially concerning Gen Z, and men of all ages are now openly identifying as fascists. A refusal to stand up for human rights and to openly support humanitarian efforts like the Global Sumud Flotilla is a refusal to teach people about the rights of humanity. By not doing that, we are witnessing the flourishing of stories to the contrary. That mean-spiritedness, cruelty, riches, and power, that these things stand before all others: they do not.

We live in a world where they turned Charlie Kirk into a hero, and the kind people, actual heroes, sailing for over a month to deliver aid to starving children, are unlawfully arrested.

We are witnessing the atrophy of democracy; 72% of the world lives under authoritarian rule, internationally recognised and adhered to human rights are non-existent, and a world that could be governed to aid humanity and its people is now being transformed into a world designed by and for those with the most power and fearful might.

Extremism is at the heart of Israel's leadership. Extremism has fuelled this genocide. Let us not forget that before the genocide, Benjamin Netanyahu spent a year trying to destroy Israel's judicial system to avoid bribery charges. Netanyahu's forever wars and genocide are crimes of power.

The far-right in Israel has taken control and is committing genocide. The final heinous act in decades of violent extremism and land seizure. Elsewhere in the world, the far-right is sending in the military to peaceful cities. The far-right will never be your friend, Mr Prime Minister.

Please do not cower to Murdoch, do not cower to Billionaires, do not cower to far-right extremists. Do not be the Neville Chamberlain of our time. Appeasing fascists has never worked.

Do not believe Trump or someone else can fix it, do what you can do, Prime Minister, and "you cannot reason with a tiger when your head is in its mouth". But you can stand up and tell Australians what's right, lead us, tell us that genocide is wrong. Help humanity. Say, that was Israel is doing is wrong.

As I removed my friendship with the individual who actively promoted the deaths of all Palestinians, so you alone in Australia can speak for us and say to Benjamin Netanyahu: you're no longer an ally of this nation. The People of Australia strongly support the rights of Palestinians.

To not do more or speak up more, in this moment, will be the tragedy that defines your second term in office. Anyone conducting horrendous acts of genocide and crimes against humanity has no place being connected with Australia. We must impose full sanctions on Benjamin Netanyahu's government, on Israel, and on the expulsion of Israel's ambassador.

Lastly, this 13th‑century Persian poem by Saadi Shirazi is inscribed at the entrance to the United Nations in New York (yes, the one with the escalator).

Poem: Children of Humanity

"Human beings are members of one body,

Created from the same essence.

If one member is afflicted with pain,

The others cannot remain at ease.

If you are indifferent to the suffering of others,

You do not deserve to be called human."

The Global Sumud Flotilla is our humanity. It is what it means to be human.

Please let Australia be a shining light in a darkening world.

There exists a genocide in Gaza and the West Bank.

The world has stood idle while that genocide rages on. We must act now before it is too late.

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Clements