Royal commission witness in tense exchange over 'legitimate state' claims

A witness at Australia's Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has sparked controversy with her views on the legitimacy of Israel and her interpretation of Zionism. Rita Jabri Markwell, a Sydney-based solicitor and policy adviser, testified about a framework she developed to identify and address hate speech.

During a tense cross-examination, Commissioner Virginia Bell questioned Ms. Markwell about her stance on Israel's legitimacy. Ms. Markwell stated that, as a human rights lawyer, she could not consider a state built on "unlawful occupation and apartheid and genocide" to be legitimate. She added that serious thought should be given to fulfilling human rights in the region, while acknowledging this was a political opinion.

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I don't think that any state that relies unlawful occupation and apartheid and genocide could be said to be a legitimate state.

Further exchanges, led by counsel for Jewish organizations, focused on Ms. Markwell's Substack post where she described Zionism as a form of violent extremism. She affirmed this view, citing research that links dehumanization of outgroups, a characteristic she associates with Zionism, to violent extremist movements. The commission's proceedings highlighted the deeply contested nature of these issues.

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Yes, I do agree. There is a basis for that which is based in research.