Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe has joined a number of crossbenchers in urging the government to uphold the integrity of the International Criminal Court.
Last month, the ICC's top prosecutor revealed he would seek arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders, the Israeli prime minister,Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity on 7 October and in the Gaza strip since.
The Court's decision was attacked by the Coalition, with Opposition leader Peter Dutton urging Australia to "put pressure on the ICC" not to proceed with the pursuit of Israeli leaders.
On Wednesday, Senator Thorpe, along with the Greens, fellow crossbenchers David Pocock, Monique Ryan, Zoe Daniel, Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines, Kate Chaney and Sophie Scamp, and Liberal MP Bridget Archer, wrote to the Prime Minister, urging the Labor government to "strongly denounce" the Opposition's calls to pressure the ICC to drop their proceedings.
"We are disturbed by, and strongly condemn, any threats or efforts to undermine the independence and impartiality of the ICC," the letter states.
"This includes calls from some in Australia to withdraw from the Rome Statute.
"It is imperative that the Australian government takes decisive action to both publicly support the ICC's work, as well as strongly denounce any attempts to pressure the OTP [office of the prosecutor] into withdrawing its applications for arrest warrants. Independent judicial processes must be permitted to operate free from political interference and threat of punishment."
The letter goes on to argue that Australia has an "obligation to fully cooperate with the ICC in its investigation and prosecution of crimes under its mandate, including the investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine".
Senator Thorpe, a Gunnai Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman from Victoria, has regularly represented the Blak Sovereign Movement in Parliament - who are outspoken in their support of Palestinian self-determination - last year arguing it was the time for the "government to use every tool at its disposal to support an immediate, permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation".
She has also recently defending Labor Senator Fatima Payman, who labelled the current conflict in Gaza as a genocide, and last month urging the government to implement a Human Rights Act.
In February, Senator Thorpe brought a "Genocide bill" before the Senate, calling to strip Australia's Attorney-General of their power to prevent prosecutions for genocide.
"Whether you're a Palestinian Australian who has seen your family murdered in Gaza, or a Blak Mother wanting to hold this government to account for the ongoing removal of First Nations children, my bill will give people in this country a better chance for justice," the senator said at the time.
Other Indigenous groups, including both the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT have expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people in recent months and several Palestinian speakers spoke at the January 26 rally in Naarm.
The Blak Sovereign Movement has clashed with Indigenous academic Marica Langton, and former Labor Senator Nova Peris, with the latter arguing the Aboriginal flag had been 'misappropriated' by Palestine protesters.
