Newly elected Labor MP Basem Abdo has used his maiden speech to the Australian Parliament to urge the government to make a 'historic commitment' to international law and human rights, highlighting the plight of Palestinians who are 'always made to be strangers in their own homes'. Abdo, the first Palestinian-Australian MP, spoke of his family's journey from Kuwait to Jordan during the first Gulf War before settling in Australia.
In a speech delivered on Monday night, Abdo did not explicitly mention Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, but his references to the humanitarian crisis were unmistakable. 'International law matters. The international rules-based order matters. Human rights matter. The right to peace, justice and recognition matters. Deserving of an historic commitment,' he said.
Abdo described the 'quiet chaos' of his family’s escape from Kuwait, recalling being held up at the border while waiting for new vehicle number plates. 'Because that’s what war looks like too – not just tanks and fear, but paperwork, approvals, and delays,' he said. Speaking of their time as refugees in Jordan, he said they 'walked with our parents down a path that belonged to a people always forced to leave for the next place'.
The MP’s speech came shortly after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed distress at images from Gaza. During question time, Albanese reiterated Australia's call for a lasting peace and said recognition of Palestinian statehood must be 'more than a gesture', noting discussions with other countries on the matter.
Abdo, who represents the diverse electorate of Calwell in Melbourne’s outer north-west, also spoke of the need to protect multiculturalism and address economic exclusion. He lamented the collapse of manufacturing in his area and the struggles faced by working people, promising to stand in solidarity with communities that often feel excluded from the Australian story.
