Labor response to Hamas atrocities was inadequate

Anthony Albanese should heed Josh Frydenberg’s advice about the importance to Australia’s interest of showing solidarity with Israel as it seeks to complete its destruction of Hamas. Amid the remains of Kibbutz Be’eri– “a paradise turned into hell” – in southern Israel last week, Mr Frydenberg wrote movingly about the evidence he saw there of October 7’s worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. “Seeing the kibbutz myself and listening to the stories of survivors, including many who had dedicated their lives to building ties with their Palestinian neighbours, brought home the enormity of what happened that day and the dangers that now confront us all,” the former treasurer wrote on Saturday. “It is a visit I would encourage our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, also to make. This is no photo op but, rather, an opportunity, like after 9/11 in the US, to express solidarity with a fellow democracy in its hour of need and demonstrate the moral courage that this pivotal moment in history requires.”

More than 150 days into the war the Jewish state is waging for its survival, Mr Frydenberg highlighted the weaknesses of the Albanese government’s responses, which have not brought it nor Australia credit. Beginning the day after the massacre, droves of global political and business leaders have gone to the Jewish state to express solidarity, with many travelling to the sites of the massacre. While Mr Albanese has travelled around the world, he has not found time to go to Israel. And in January, when Foreign Minister Penny Wong finally made her long-anticipated visit, including to what she termed the “occupied territories”, she met family members of hostages being held by Hamas but kept away from the scenes of the terrorists’ mass slaughter and depraved sexual violence.

ALP factions are committed to the cause of Palestinian statehood. About 30,000 Gazans are dead and many more are injured, suffering, hungry and in need of medical help as a result of Israel’s aggressive pursuit of Hamas in the Strip. The conflict must be resolved as soon as possible and all Israeli hostages released by Hamas. The situation in Gaza is desperate. But that should not inhibit Australia from showing greater solidarity with Israel, with which we have had diplomatic relations since 1949. “Just think what would happen if it were us in Australia who were subject to a terrorist attack on the scale of that on October 7,” Mr Frydenberg said. “We would be responding to nearly 4000 dead and 1000 taken hostage. We would, and the Australian public would expect us to, use all means at our disposal to end the rocket fire, dismantle the terrorist entity on our border and return the hostages to their families. We would want every one of our friends standing by our side, just as Israel does today.” Nor should Australia hurry to resume aid to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine, after pausing funding when about 12 UNRWA staff were accused of involvement in the October 7 attack. Sweden and Canada have announced they are resuming aid.

The Gaza war, Geoff Chambers reported from Jerusalem, is now in its final stages, with Israel believing it will be able to “wipe out Hamas terrorists in Rafah and end military action in Gaza within six to eight weeks”. At the start of Ramadan on Monday, amid fears the Muslim holy month could spark more Hamas violence, it remains to be seen how accurate Israel’s hopeful projection of an end to the war proves to be. Last week’s withdrawal of Hamas negotiators from talks in Qatar over what was hoped would be a six-week ceasefire beginning with Ramadan was a bad sign. It underlined the need for Israel’s allies to signal solidarity amid the existential crisis it confronts. The ALP’s factions may be conflicted over the Palestinian cause but the government needs to do better in showing the “moral courage” needed to visit the sites of the October 7 slaughter to gain a better understanding of the evil forces unleashed.

Underlining the importance to the world, including Australia, of Israel succeeding in annihilating Hamas, Mr Frydenberg recalled the timeless words of Bob Hawke when, as prime minister, he warned: “If the bell tolls for Israel, it won’t just toll for Israel, it will toll for all mankind.”