By Lucy Adautin
Senator Fatima Payman has stepped down from Australia’s ruling Labor Party after supporting a motion on Palestinian statehood, contrary to the party line.
Facing severe penalties for her defiance, including an “indefinite suspension” from the party’s caucus, Payman remained resolute. “This is a matter I cannot compromise on,” the 29-year-old stated on Thursday, expressing her internal conflict over the decision.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese noted that Payman thanked him for his leadership and refuted claims of her being pressured into resigning.
Payman will now serve as an independent senator on the crossbench.
A trailblazer as Australia’s first hijab-wearing federal politician, Payman’s family fled Afghanistan when the Taliban took control in 1996. She highlighted her personal connection to issues of injustice, stating, “Unlike my colleagues, I know how it feels to be on the receiving end of injustice. My family did not flee a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people.”
The Gaza conflict has become a sensitive political topic in Australia. While the government officially supports a two-state solution, it did not endorse the statehood motion, aiming unsuccessfully to add a condition for recognition only as part of a peace process.
The Israeli military’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza was in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel by Hamas on October 7, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages. Since then, over 37,900 people have been killed in Gaza, including 28 in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Since voting with the Greens party, Payman reported receiving significant support from some colleagues and pressure to conform from others, along with “death threats and confronting emails” from the public.
Prime Minister Albanese, who issued her indefinite suspension, had offered Payman the chance to rejoin the caucus if she agreed to “participate as a team player.” However, Payman declared earlier this week that she had been “exiled” by Labor, removed from meetings, group chats, and committees.
