Julie Gray SENATE

Julie Gray
SENATE

Julie Gray is a health worker and a workplace delegate for the Health Services Union. Julie unapologetically supports workers' rights against the ravages of “economic rationalism'".

As a health worker Julie also well understands how inequalities in society affect poor minorities. Indigenous people have serious health issues yet government negligence has done more to harm than to help.

Julie is also a passionate advocate of ecological sustainability. As a socialist, she believes in working together with other like-minded groups to make a future for the planet

Sanctions against Israel, not Gaza

Socialist Alliance calls for Australian government to cut ties with Israel

The Socialist Alliance candidate for the seat of Perth, Chris Latham, today called the Israeli government’s decision on October 28 to cut fuel supplies to the Gaza Strip a “war crime”. Latham, a National Tertiary Education Union activist and Murdoch University tutor, called for the Australian government to cut all military, economic and diplomatic ties with the government of Israel.

Latham explained: “Since Israel bombed Gaza’s only electricity plant in June last year, the people of the enclave are dependent on Israel for 60% of their electricity, and almost all of their fuel. A World Bank report released last year said that Gaza is experiencing the worst economic depression in modern history. Two-thirds of its residents are dependant on the UN for food to survive, and more than 80% of the population are trying to survive on less than US$2 a day.”

“Israel is committing war crimes by collectively punishing the 1.5 million people it has besieged in the Gaza Strip. Half of these people are children: what possible justification can there be for deliberately causing a humanitarian catastrophe by cutting fuel supplies, essential foodstuffs and medical supplies to a civilian population?”

He continued, “The international community responded shamefully to the expression of Palestinians’ democratic will last January when it backed the US-Israeli led embargo on the Occupied Territories in the wake of the electoral victory of Hamas. The UN human rights representative in Palestine John Dugard pointed out at the time that this was the first time in history that sanctions had been imposed on an occupied people.”

Latham concluded, “Israel is a criminal pariah state, and must be treated as such by the international community, which is why the Socialist Alliance is supporting the international campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel. We need to isolate Israel, which is pursuing genocidal policies against the people of Gaza, carrying out ethnic cleansing in its West Bank land grab, and consolidating an apartheid society, the way the international community isolated apartheid South Africa.”

Latham will be speaking at the Just Peace-organised anti-war public meeting on Tuesday November 20, 6.30pm, City Place, Perth, with election candidates from the other parties.

For more information or comments, phone Chris 0408 567 923.