Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker and guitarist Dom Simper are among 113 Fremantle artists urging WA Labor MP Josh Wilson to challenge his party’s positions on the Israel-Gaza conflict or follow his former caucus colleague Fatima Payman and resign from the party.
The letter, delivered to Wilson’s Fremantle office on Wednesday, was created and signed by musicians and artists living in Wilson’s electorate. These include Parker and Simper and other prominent Fremantle musicians Stella Donnelly, John Butler and Jake Webb of Methyl Ethyl.
Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker is one of the signatories of a letter urging Fremantle MP Josh Wilson to resign from his party.
“We, the undersigned artists, write in pain and distress, with respect for your position as MP for Fremantle, to ask you to immediately take steps to reverse our electorate’s part in the genocide of Palestinian people, happening right now,” the group said.
The group praised Wilson’s history of anti-war and anti-nuclear advocacy and previous public concern about the number of Palestinians being killed by the Israeli Defence Force – but urged him to go further.
“We respect that you take your representation of Fremantle seriously, however, now, we ask you as our representative and as a fellow human to go much further, as far as peacefully possible, in removing us from support of these heinous and horrific actions by the present State of Israel,” they said.
The signatories called on Wilson to push internally for the government to recognise Palestinian statehood; guarantee permanent residencies for Palestinians fleeing the conflict; and sanction Israel.
They also urged him to push for the withdrawal of Australia’s ambassador in Israel, expel Israel’s ambassador to Australia and cease military and economic ties with the country.
If Labor did not respond to the requests the group urged Wilson to leave the party and sit as an independent.
“If the Labor Party will not align with these requests, which are also steps other nations have taken, and are in agreement with UN recommendations, we ask that you become an independent member,” they said.
