Hamas’s intentions are clear. It must be comprehensively defeated
Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel’s south is one big crime scene, a paradise turned into hell. Seeing it myself and listening to the stories of survivors brought home the enormity of what happened that day and the dangers that now confront us all.
Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel’s south is one big crime scene, a paradise turned into hell. As drones buzzed overhead and artillery shells thundered in the distance we walked past one burnt home after another.
Signs of Hamas’s barbarism were everywhere. In that community alone more than 100 civilians were slaughtered on October 7 last year, including Australian citizen and grandmother Galit Carbone. Several other kibbutz members are still being held hostage in what we know are the most inhumane conditions imaginable.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We need to understand the events of October 7 have local, regional and global ramifications that extend well beyond the Gaza Strip.
Should Israel not achieve a decisive victory and restore its own security, dangerous consequences will follow.
As former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke once said: “If the bell tolls for Israel, it won’t just toll for Israel, it will toll for all mankind.” Should Hamas remain in control of even a part of Gaza, the possibility of achieving a two-state solution in the near term will all but disappear. Hamas’s intentions are clear. Its stated objective is to achieve the destruction of Israel.
To state the blindingly obvious, this leaves no room for negotiation or compromise.
Hamas may have launched its jihad attack under the false flag of freedom but in reality what it has achieved is the opposite of that.
It has damaged the Palestinian cause and Palestinians’ legitimate claim for self-determination.
Israel’s war is with Hamas, not the Palestinian people who are now suffering greatly as a result of Hamas’s terrorist attack.
At a regional level, Hamas’s survival also would embolden its sponsor, Iran, and send a message to other proxies in the region that terrorism pays.
It would guarantee that the Houthis and Hezbollah would continue with their provocations.
Provocations that already have seen more than 10 per cent of the world’s seaborne trade, which passes through the Red Sea, disrupted and the prospect of an all-out war in Lebanon would become more likely.
The momentum of the Abraham Accords that have already brought so much hope and promise to the region will be dealt a severe blow.
The alignment between Israel and its Muslim neighbours stems in part from a common interest in countering the nefarious influence of Iran.
A weakened Israel will have less chance of encouraging Saudi Arabia to normalise ties and follow the path paved by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
At a global level, anything less than a crushing defeat for Hamas will strengthen the hand of those, including Vladimir Putin’s Russia, that are aggressively seeking to undermine the US-led global order – an international order that has delivered stability and prosperity for close to 80 years benefiting many nations, including Australia.
We need the US to remain strong so it can provide the leadership and resources we need in our part of the world.
As the conflict in Gaza continues into its sixth month, the focus rightly will be on ensuring the hostages are returned, humanitarian aid is delivered and civilians are protected.
But in doing so we must not lose sight of the need for Hamas to be comprehensively defeated.
If we don’t support the advancement of this critical strategic objective our national interest will be harmed.
Most Australians would never have heard of Kibbutz Be’eri as it is thousands of kilometres from our shores.
But Israel’s ability to respond effectively to the atrocities committed there on October 7 very much matters to us here at home.
Josh Frydenberg is a former treasurer of Australia and as part of an Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council delegation recently visited Israel, where he met Israeli and Palestinian representatives.
