Gaza War Cracks Labor’s Muslim Support Base

Once staunch Labor supporters, Muslim Australians are now rallying behind independents and Greens in protest against the party’s ’soft diplomacy.’

Palestine supporters rally outside the Sydney Opera House, Australia on Oct. 9, 2023. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Muslim Australians, who make up 3.2 percent of the population, have traditionally supported the Labor Party, drawn by its historical support for multiculturalism.

But the Gaza conflict, which erupted in October 2023, has fundamentally shaken that trust.