Federal Labor MP Josh Burns on the importance of building bridges

On 26th of August 2026, the Federal Labor Party wrapped up its annual conference in Adelaide. Amongst some of the items that made the news was a joint presentation by MPs Josh Burns, who is Jewish, and Basem Abdo, who is from a Palestinian background, in which they addressed the national conference and endorsed the party's platform. SBS Hebrew spoke with Mr. Burns to gather his thoughts about the occasion and the Middle East conflict in general.On 26th of August 2026, the Federal Labor Party wrapped up its annual conference in Adelaide. Amongst some of the items that made the news was a joint presentation by MPs Josh Burns, who is Jewish, and Basem Abdo, who is from a Palestinian background, in which they addressed the national conference and endorsed the party's platform. SBS Hebrew spoke with Mr. Burns to gather his thoughts about the occasion and the Middle East conflict in general.MP Josh Burns is the Federal Labor member for the federal electorate of Macnamara, Melbourne. He was first elected to parliament in 2019 and currently serves as the Special Envoy for Social Housing and Homelessness. Mr. Burns was raised by Jewish immigrants who fled Europe for Australia to escape persecution. Prior to his election to Parliament, he worked as a teacher’s aide, factory worker, and an adviser to the Victorian and federal governments.