Tony Burke says people have right to grieve Gaza deaths and backs flying Palestinian flag in Australia

Source: The Guardian

Tony Burke says people have right to grieve Gaza deaths and backs flying Palestinian flag in Australia

Senior Labor minister and western Sydney MP supports Penny Wong’s call for humanitarian ‘pause’ and notes Israeli minister’s use of term ‘human animals’

Amy Remeikis
@amyremeikis
Fri 27 Oct 2023 00.36 BST
Last modified on Fri 27 Oct 2023 01.00 BST

Albanese government minister Tony Burke has backed a Sydney council’s decision to raise the Palestinian flag until a ceasefire is declared in the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying people had a right to grieve what they saw happening to Palestinians.

Burke, one of the most senior members of the Labor government, represents one of the biggest Muslim communities in Australia. In an interview with ABC radio RN Breakfast, Burke said the council was truly “representing grief in that community”.

“It is not the Hamas flag … it’s a Palestinian flag. And it’s a flag that gives people the chance to know that there is recognition and not selective grief,” Burke said.

“We can’t say we only grieve for certain people who are slaughtered. We can’t have a situation as a nation where we only formally acknowledge particular deaths. I’m really glad that the council made that decision. I’m very proud that it was my local council.”

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/27/tony-burke-says-people-have-right-to-grieve-gaza-deaths-and-backs-flying-palestinian-flag-in-australia

Alternate link: https://archive.li/zeqkR