5-7-2024 (SYDNEY) In a dramatic move that has intensified pressure on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Fatima Payman, the first federal MP to wear a hijab, has resigned from the ruling Labor Party following her decision to split from the party over motions recognizing the state of Palestine. The resignation, announced on July 4, two years after she entered the Senate as a representative of modern Australia, comes as Albanese grapples with divisions within Parliament and the nation over the long-standing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Payman’s departure from Labor poses a significant political challenge for the party as it seeks to retain several seats with large Muslim populations ahead of the next federal election, likely to be held in early 2025. Her move to the crossbench, where independent and minor party candidates sit, will force Labor to secure her vote as an independent or seek support from another senator, as the party does not hold a majority in the upper house.
The resignation has also overshadowed Albanese’s efforts to promote Labor’s agenda on addressing the rising cost of living, including a tax cut that began reaching people’s pay packets this week. Payman’s growing isolation within the Labor Party stemmed from her claims that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza and her calls for immediate recognition of a Palestinian state – positions that diverged from the party’s attempts to steer a middle path between the staunchly pro-Palestinian Greens and the staunchly pro-Israel opposition Liberal Party.
The rare act of “crossing the floor” by Payman on June 25, when she voted against Labor on a Greens motion to recognize Palestinian statehood, marked the first time a Labor MP had breached the party’s 122-year-old unity rule in 19 years, raising the possibility of expulsion. While Albanese initially signaled a desire for Payman to remain in the party, her subsequent television interview on June 30, declaring her intention to continue crossing the floor over the Palestinian issue, prompted an indefinite suspension from party-room meetings.
Payman’s resignation reflects deep public divisions in Australia over the war in Gaza, with regular pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protests in major cities, pro-Palestinian encampments at several universities, and reports of increasing incidents of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Just hours before Payman’s announcement, pro-Palestinian protesters scaled the roof of Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra and unfurled a banner accusing the nation of enabling war crimes, leading to their arrest and prompting an investigation into the building’s security.
While Labor supports a Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution and Albanese has backed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza while supporting Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, the party’s attempt at a middle path has drawn fierce criticism from some Muslim groups demanding a firmer pro-Palestinian stance. A new interest group, The Muslim Vote, has signaled its intention to back candidates in two seats in Sydney, including Blaxland, where 32 percent of residents are Muslim, reflecting the growing political influence of Australia’s Muslim community, which comprises 3.2 percent of the country’s 27.3 million residents.
Payman’s resignation has made it more challenging for Labor to appease its Muslim and pro-Palestinian supporters without abandoning its centrist positioning on the issue. The greater concern, however, is the possibility of Payman forming a new political party or spearheading a movement that seeks to harness the Australian Muslim community’s concerns about the war in Gaza. While she did not rule out forming a party, admitting to having already met with campaigners from The Muslim Vote, Payman left the door open, telling reporters, “Stay tuned. Anything can happen. It’s an evolving space.”
