Greens’ blind eye to Hamas terror

The ongoing imprisonment of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas during its October 7 attacks is a reminder that the path to peace lies in the defeat of the Iranian proxy terrorist organisation. The death toll among the hostages could be higher than 29, as previously thought. An Israeli assessment shared with US and Egyptian officials estimates that up to 50 hostages could be dead, leaving 80 alive in captivity. Militants seized more than 240 people during their barbaric slaughter in southern Israel on October 7 that left 1200 people dead.

The number of hostages still alive is central to talks brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar about whether they are to be returned in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in the Middle East to progress negotiations.

An insight into the morality of the respective sides is evident in reports that while the head of Hamas’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, who lives in Qatar, is considering whether to spare the hostages’ lives, members of his family are receiving lifesaving treatment at Soroka Hospital in Beersheva in southern Israel. They live there, as Israeli citizens through marriage. As reported in the World pages, Haniyeh’s niece gave birth to a premature baby in the hospital. The child is in the neonatal intensive care unit where “enemy’’ doctors and nurses are working to save his life.

In Canberra, the anti-Israel fanaticism of the Greens was writ large when they tried – and failed – to suspend standing orders in parliament to push for Australia to “end its support for Israel’s invasion of Gaza”. Greens leader Adam Bandt called on the parliament to “help stop a genocide”. As Liberal senator Dave Sharma said, the Greens are “detached from reality’’ and appear to have problems with Jewish people. “If you really supported a durable ceasefire … then you’ve got to condemn the terrorist actions of Hamas, you’ve got to want their removal from power,” he said. The government and the Coalition opposed the shameful motion, which did not even mention the hostages or Hamas.

Apart from the four Greens, only independents Helen Haines and Andrew Wilkie backed it in the lower house. The teals were split. Zoe Daniel and Allegra Spender, who represent large numbers of Jewish electors, voted against it, as did Kylea Tink and Sophie Scamps. Monique Ryan and Kate Chaney abstained. In a mickey division (in which not all MPs are required to vote as the result is a lay down misere, with the major parties combining against a minor party), Anthony Albanese and most of his frontbench did not come into the chamber to vote. Mark Dreyfus, Linda Burney, Anika Wells and Patrick Gorman were among those who did. As Peter Dutton asked: “Why is the Prime Minister not here condemning this motion?’’ Mickey vote or not, symbolism matters on vital issues.