The independent candidate targeting Tony Burke’s western Sydney seat has said he “supports Palestinian resistance” after it was reported he shared a Facebook post that allegedly celebrated the 7 October Hamas attacks.
Dr Ziad Basyouny, who announced his candidacy for Watson in August, shared the post in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, the Sydney Morning Herald reported this week.
The post included an illustration of a rock-throwing protester and a machine-gun-wielding paraglider – referencing the Hamas fighters who breached the Gaza-Israel barrier.
Basyouny said the post wasn’t about celebrating the attacks but recognising Palestinians’ right to “resist oppression”.
Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive at the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the post wasn’t about “Israeli policy” and Basyouny should apologise.
“He should either apologise or be open about his support for terrorist atrocities targeting civilians,” Ryvchin said.
“Claiming now his posts weren’t supportive of Hamas, when the attacks he posted about were carried out by Hamas, is taking the public for fools.”
Basyouny told Guardian Australia: “I support the inherent right of Palestinians to take back and defend their land and to resist oppression, but I do not support the attacks on civilians. As a doctor, a Muslim and a human, I obviously abhor attacks on civilians.
“The occupation of Palestine for more than 75 years and the violence the Palestinians have been subjected to should be opposed by all,” he said.
“Palestinian resistance pre-dates Hamas, their struggle has been ongoing for decades, and I support the freedom of the Palestinians.”
Basyouny said he supported Palestinian statehood and Palestinians had been in a “cage for 17 years” – referring to the ongoing siege of Gaza that predated the current war.
Watson is held by Burke with a margin of 15.1%. Muslims make up 25.1% of the population in the seat.
Burke, the minister for immigration and multicultural affairs, responded to questions about Basyouny by noting he had previously condemned the 7 October attacks that killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel and saw 250 people taken hostage.
“I’ve repeatedly condemned the atrocities of October 7 and anyone celebrating them,” Burke said. “I find it bewildering that anyone is checking to find out if I still hold that position – of course I do.”
Israel has killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza since 7 October, including 11,000 children and 6,000 women, local health officials say.
The Australian opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has called on the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to refuse to preference Basyouny at the federal election due by May 2o25.
Dutton told reporters on Thursday that Albanese “needs to stand up and say he [Labor] will not accept or give preferences to this independent candidate who has sought to support the glorification of the slaughter of 1,200 people and the October 7 attacks”.
The Liberal leader told 2GB radio the issue was “a very serious matter” and “people of that character don’t deserve to be in the Australian parliament”.
Teal independents also criticised Basyouny, with Allegra Spender, who represents the eastern Sydney seat of Wentworth in federal parliament, stating there “should be no place in our parliament for someone who celebrates the murder of civilians”.
The Kooyong MP, Monique Ryan, said Hamas was “a terrorist organisation – we can’t have people in the Australian parliament who support terrorist organisations”.
