Resigned from committee post
Australian Labor Party Senator Payman has resigned from her parliamentary committee roles after arguing that Israel is committing "genocide" in Gaza.
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According to a report by ABC News, a government spokesperson announced that Payman has stepped down from her positions on two committees in the Australian Parliament.
The spokesperson stated, "Senator Payman has resigned from the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee."
Main opposition leader Peter Dutton and MP Julian Lesser had suggested prior to the Senator's resignation that it would be appropriate for Payman to be removed from her posts.
Labor Party Jewish MP Josh Burns had remarked, "Fatima is my friend and I know that all of these events have been really difficult for her."
In a statement to SBS News, Senator Payman had asked how many more people must die for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to tell Israel to "stop."
Contrasting with the stance of the Labor Party to which she belongs regarding Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip, Payman had said, "My conscience has been restless for a very long time and I must speak it as it is. This is a genocide and we must stop pretending otherwise."
Fatima Payman, who was elected to the Senate from the Labor Party in Australia, began her term in 2022 as the first woman to enter parliament wearing a hijab.
Payman also became the first federal Labor parliamentarian to describe the events in Gaza as "genocide."