Green Party MP Mehreen Faruqi refuses to say whether Hamas should be dismantled

Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has refused to say whether the Hamas terror group should be dismantled, saying that should be a decision made by Palestinians once they are granted statehood.

The Greens have called for the recognition of Palestine as a state in parliament and accused the government of being “complicit in genocide” by refusing to sanction Israel over the war in Gaza.

Speaking on ABC’s Insiders programme, Senator Faruqi said Hamas was listed as a terrorist organisation and the Greens were demanding no changes be made to that status.

But when repeatedly asked whether Hamas should be dismantled or whether Palestinians should be allowed to choose to be ruled by Hamas under their own state, the senator avoided answering.

“Listen, the situation with Hamas is, I cannot repeat it again and again, it has nothing to do with Palestinian statehood or Palestinian self-determination,” Senator Faruqi said.

“The Palestinians need to decide where they want to go with their own region.

Smear campaign against Payman

Following a tumultuous week in politics that saw Senator Fatima Payman leave the Labour Party, Senator Faruqi claimed the government had launched a “smear” campaign against her for speaking out about Palestine.

Senator Payman resigned on Thursday to join the independent group after being suspended from the Labour parliamentary group for voting against the party on a motion to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Senator Faruqi said that even as the young Labor senator was considering her actions, there were “unsourced rumours” from Labor MPs “vilifying” Senator Payman for her expression of her faith.

“I think as the only other dark-skinned Muslim woman in the Senate, I can understand much better than most what Senator Payman has been going through. Not just in the last few weeks, but in general,” Senator Faruqi said.