Menzies for Palestine is a grassroots community group made up of residents of the local Manningham community. Our group is diverse, and includes all ages, socio-economic groups, faithful and secular. Members organise together to use their collective power to advocate for an end the genocide of the Palestinian people and a fight for a free Palestine.

We conduct our activism on the unceded lands of Wurudjeri Woi Wurrung people and pay our respects to elders past and present. Our fight for the liberation of Palestine is connected to the struggle for justice for First Nations peoples across this country.

We believe in a Free Palestine, where Palestinian people have the right to autonomy, self-determination and freedom from oppression, apartheid and violence. We believe in a one-state solution in which all permanent residents of one democratic state between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River enjoy full and equal rights as citizens. While we advocate for a one-state solution, we believe that Palestinian affairs should be decided by the Palestinian people themselves, respecting Palestinian sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Israel is an occupying force, and Palestine is an occupied territory. There are obligations under international law to ensure that Palestinians interests, as well as the interests of Israeli citizens currently living in occupied territories must be considered in determining their future and their lives. We believe that all Palestinians in exile should have a right of return, to a place where all living in Occupied Palestine are free and equal

Our vision for Menzies for Palestine is to contribute to the Palestinian movement by raising awareness within our communities and mobilising to pressure all levels of government to cut ties with the State of Israel and any companies complicit in the manufacturing or development of weapons for Israel.

Inclusive: We value a diverse membership, and work to keep our movement free from racism, colonialism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and other forms of discrimination. 

Urgency: we recognise the immediacy of the escalation of the brutal violence against the Palestinian people by the Israeli state that is being supported by the international community, including Australia.

Impact on our local community: we recognise the devastating impact the genocide is having on our Palestinian community members, as well as on all residents of Manningham bearing witness to, and feeling powerless in the face of this horrific situation.

Community and collective: we believe in the power of collective organising and connecting with other local community groups in the Palestinian liberation movement. 

Hope: we believe in the power of people led movements, where our collective voices &  actions drive change including compelling our leaders to take a strong, clear, moral stance on this issue.

Solution-focused: we believe there are reasonable, practical steps that local, state and federal governments can take to demonstrate leadership at this time and commit to pushing for this.

Strategic: we recognise the wider impact of colonialism and capitalism, and the need to work towards tangible outcomes, including for local councils, and state and federal governments to commit to boycott and divestment, and for the federal government to impose sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law.

We call on the Australian Government to use all influence, pressure, and diplomatic measures to secure peace and call for an end to the oppression, ethnic cleansing, and apartheid imposed on the Palestinian people.

We demand:

An immediate and permanent ceasefire.

An immediate and coordinated deployment of unhindered and safe passage of humanitarian aid, by the United Nations and other credible humanitarian agencies such as the UN (not foreign mercenaries)

The release of Palestinian political hostages held in Israeli prisons

Full sanctions on the state of Israel, including ceasing the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions (including parts and components) and other military equipment to Israel.

Establishing emergency humanitarian visa pathways and fast-tracking all pending visa applications for Palestinians fleeing Gaza.

An end to the occupation of Palestine in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. This includes the removal of illegal Israeli settlements, the withdrawal of Israel from all Palestinian lands and the dismantling of the separation wall.

Q: How is this international issue relevant to our local community?

A: When we watch terrible things happen to people and our leaders do nothing to stop it, or worse, help it continue, it demonstrates that our whole system is deeply flawed. If genocide can happen in plain sight while everyone watches, then what else are we being lied about, or told to accept? This moment forces us to choose - keep accepting a corrupt world, or demand something better for everyone. As members of the community, we have a duty to demonstrate a commitment to human rights. 

Palestinian residents in the electorate of Menzies have been directly impacted as many have lost family, friends and colleagues in Gaza due to continued Israeli violence. We have a duty to them, and all oppressed peoples, to demonstrate a commitment to human rights, as set out in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006.

Q: Do you condemn what happened on the 7th of October?

A: We condemn violence against innocent civilians anywhere, including those murdered on October 7. We recognise that the events of October 7 have been used by Israel and its supporters to justify the brutal escalation of the violent occupation of Palestine that has resulted in the deaths of countless Palestinians. In 2024, the International Court of Justice noted that as an occupying force Israel’s actions in response to the October 7 attacks cannot legally be described as self-defence and are likely falling within the legal definition of genocide.

Independent investigations have found that not only did the Israeli government, its army and security services “fail in their primary mission of protecting the citizens of Israel” in the months preceding October 7, but Israel also expanded the use of its murderous “Hannibal Directive” – designed to prevent soldiers from being taken alive as prisoners of war – by killing many of its own civilians during the October 7 attack. Hundreds of Israelis were likely killed by Israel itself in “Hannibal” targeting incidents as well as unintentional crossfire.

Q: Do you call for the release of the hostages?

A: We support calls for the release of all people being held hostage or interned, the overwhelming majority of whom are Palestinian citizens who for decades have been illegally incarcerated by the Israeli state. 

A: We recognise that Israel has consistently declined to engage in diplomatic efforts that would result in the freeing of their hostages and continue to use ‘freeing the hostages’ as a justification for their genocidal actions and have in fact been confirmed responsible for the deaths of many of their own hostages. Their indiscriminate bombing and other violent actions are not consistent with a desire for the safe return of their own hostages.

Q: Do you condemn Hamas?

A: We denounce all forms of violence, including state violence. We support Palestinian liberation. We support the legal right of Palestinian people to resist the occupation, apartheid conditions, human rights violations and violence that has been perpetrated upon their people for over 70 years. We believe calls to condemn Hamas are an attempt to provide justifications for Israel’s violent escalation in Palestine. We call for an international process in which Palestinian people have a right to self-determination, to elect leaders that represent their interests through a fair and democratic process, an opportunity that has been denied to them.

Q: Do you condemn violence/vandalism?

A: Menzies for Humanity is a non-violent movement standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We support the right to peaceful protest to advocate for the Palestinian cause. We recognise the emergence of increasing frustration at the government’s lack of action that has led to some advocates causing civil disruption, and in a small minority of cases, damage to property, to draw attention to an issue they feel is being ignored. We call on the government to respond to peaceful protests, mass demonstrations and actions that we have seen since the escalation of Israel’s actions. While we condemn any action that would result in physical harm to individuals, we stand in solidarity with all Palestinians in Australia and their allies who are feeling distraught and frustrated at being ignored and abandoned in relation to this issue.

Q: Do you support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement?

A: We support nonviolent movements that call for the adherence to international law. BDS is a Palestinian-led movement which is modeled on the Anti-Apartheid Movement created to dismantle apartheid in South Africa. BDS sees itself as a movement for all Palestinians, whether they live in the diaspora or in historical Palestine, and we support the movement.

When governments and their institutions cut ties with oppressive regimes, this can have a significant impact on the actions of violent governments and preserve human life and dignity of oppressed people. We recognise our responsibility to use our resources, connections and collective strength to compel our leaders, including federal, state and local government representatives, to take necessary steps to cut any economic and or other ties to the Israeli regime until it complies with international law.