EXCLUSIVE: Inner-city Melbourne council passes resolution to stand in ‘solidarity’ with Palestinians

Sky News Reporter Caroline Marcus has revealed the Yarra City Council in Melbourne’s inner-city has passed a resolution this week to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, criticising Israel for its “occupation” in the conflict.

In the resolution, the council said it was “not a conflict between equals but an extension of an occupation” and stood with solidarity with Yarra-based Palestinians. “It turns out the Yarra City Council, an inner-city Melbourne council run by a Greens mayor, have decided they have the answers to the Middle-East conflict that have baffled people around the world for so long,” she said.

“This was brought forward as an emergency motion, so there wasn’t even much time to let the community know this was being debated. “Still it was voted 5-2 in favour of this resolution.” Former Labor MP Michael Danby told Sky News host Chris Kenny said local councils should stay out of these sorts of issues.

“If they’re concerned about one legal case in Israel… four houses out of 300,000 Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem, does that justify sending 3,500 missiles into the civilian areas of Israel?… It’s pathetic logic,” he said.

“Thank heavens the Iron Dome is protecting them. Hamas has all these concrete tunnels under Gaza; why aren’t any of them available for the civilians of Gaza? They’re only built for war-like purposes… there’s only room for rockets down there.”

Watch the report with Caroline Marcus on The Kenny Report.