Sixty prominent Australian figures have signed a statement voicing strong opposition to an upcoming visit by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the country. The statement slammed Netanyahu’s policies toward Palestinians as “provocative, intimidating and oppressive.”

An author and peace activist believes Netanyahu is a “war criminal,” adding that there is no justification for his actions as prime minister.

“You cannot justify the racial apartheid that Israel participates in. That is why the UN recently had another resolution against Israel, against them building settlements and which we should call them what they really are, racial colonies protected by a standing army. Israel annexes territory. They have built a giant apartheid wall across their border and taken more land from Palestinians and they are annexing East Jerusalem and then they routinely bomb Gaza back into the Stone Age,” Ryan Dawson told Press TV in an interview on Sunday.

He noted that the public’s awareness of the crimes committed by Israel is growing in large part due to freedom of the media on the Internet.

The activist also maintained that people are aware of the Israel lobby’s strength and how much it bribes and pays politicians.

He further stated that the people of Australia are “sick and tired” of apartheid, adding that they do not want their money to be spent on supporting Israel’s wars.

“The public is outraged that Australia would contribute to something [similar to] their own sort of past [and similar to what they did to] their Aborigines. They do not want to continue that pattern by supporting the Israelis apartheid over Palestinians and African migrants,” he said.

Aboriginal Australians have long been subjected to genocide, forced permanent removal, dispossession, racial discrimination and destruction of their land.