The Australian Palestinian Network for Cooperation with the Palestinian People organized a visit to the Legislative Council, which included a number of parliamentarians from the Australian Labor Party headed by Tony Burke. The delegation was attended by MPs Abdullah Abdullah who presided over the meeting, Qais Abdul Karim, Najat Al Astal, Bernard Sabella, Issa Qaraqa’a, head of the Prisoners’ Authority, and Ibrahim Khreisha, Secretary General of the Legislative Council.

Abdullah started the meeting by welcoming the delegation, pointing out the importance of this visit, which coincided with the Palestinian arrangements for reconciliation. He briefed the delegation on the internal Palestinian situation at a time when the Israeli government continues to violate international laws and human rights, especially regarding settlement and the situation of prisoners in Israeli prisons, and the ongoing violations of human rights both in Israeli jails and outside them, such as the arrest of children, the demolition of homes, the policy of apartheid and daily killings on the ground.

For his part, Qaraqa’a reviewed the prisoners’ situation in Israeli jails, and touched on the Israeli legislation outside the law, especially with regard to the basics of dealing with prisoners, questioning them and the torture and ill-treatment that are contrary to human rights and the agreements that Israel has committed to abide by.

In turn, MP Abdel Karim referred to the process of Palestinian reconciliation and the steps that will be taken in relation to the empowerment of the Palestinian government and the unification of Palestinian governmental institutions, the general elections, and activating the PLO to include all Palestinian factions.

In a related context, Al-Astal outlined the situation in the Gaza Strip and the daily suffering of the people of the Gaza Strip and their hope that the reconciliation and ending the division would be completed.

The MPs called on the parliamentary delegation to pressure the Australian government to recognize the Palestinian state to be Australia a role model for countries that have not recognized Palestine until now and for its influence in international relations, especially parliamentary relations with the Australian Labor Party.