Scott Morrison lands in Israel on solidarity visit

The former PM, accompanied by Boris Johnson, is the first Australian politician to visit the country since the October 7 massacres by Hamas terrorists.

Scott Morrison, former Israeli UN envoy Danny Danon and Boris Johnson

Australia supported the US unconditionally after the attacks on the twin towers in New York, former prime minister Scott Morrison says, comparing the nation’s solidarity with Israel as he arrived in the Jewish state for a visit alongside former British leader Boris Johnson.

Mr Morrison is the first Australian politician to visit the country since the October 7 massacres committed by Hamas terrorists.

Mr Morrison arrived at Ben Gurion airport alongside the former British prime minister, with the pair scheduled to meet on Sunday with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as well as families of those held hostage in Gaza and members of the Israel Defence Forces.

At the Lone Soldier Centre in Jerusalem Mr Morrison and Mr Johnson met British-Israeli reservists, as well as the family of a fallen soldier. The pair were scheduled to tour an IDF situation room and participate in a visit to two villages in the country’s south, Kibbutz Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Be’eri, where Hamas slaughtered the civilian population.

In an opinion piece written for The Australian to coincide with the visit, Mr Morrison said he “hoped to demonstrate solidarity with Israel, its people and our own Australian Jewish community”. “I never imagined we would ever see the wave of anti-Semitic hatred that has occurred in Australia since the October 7 attacks and the rollout of Israel’s response.”

He said Australia was “a proud multicultural society”.

“The shameful attacks on our Jewish community are a stain on our multicultural standing. When planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001, our empathy and support for the US was unconditional, including when the US ­responded. To the contrary, we ­activated ANZUS, as it was an ­attack on the American homeland,” he wrote.

On arrival, Mr Morrison said he was thankful to be joining Mr Johnson as a “demonstration of solidarity with the people and State of Israel”. “It is an opportunity to understand first-hand what is occurring on the ground, honour those who have been lost, show support to those who have suffered and are now engaged in this terrible conflict, and discuss how to move forward,” he said.

More than 1400 people were murdered during the attacks of October 7, with upwards of 240 women, children and elderly civilians abducted to Gaza where they continue to be held hostage by the terrorist group. Four hostages have been released since the attacks, with one a soldier rescued by the IDF in a special operation.

Mr Morrison, whose government recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2018, was one of six Australian prime ministers who signed a joint-letter last week unequivocally condemning the actions of Hamas and the creepings of anti-semitism in Australia.

The Albanese government reversed the Morrison government’s decision on Jerusalem within six months of winning office. World leaders have lined up to visit Israel in recent weeks, however Anthony Albanese confirmed a fortnight ago that he would not be visiting the Jewish state. Since then he has visited Washington for meetings with US President Joe Biden, and he is now in Beijing for meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

The Prime Minister held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several days ago, more than three weeks after a request was submitted for a phone call by Canberra, a fact seized upon by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton who suggested Mr Albanese had been snubbed.

Mr Morrison has expressed his own disappointment with the Albanese government over what he claims has been a lack of support for Israel, namely its decision to abstain on a UN vote for a humanitarian truce in the region.

The other reason for the visit, he said, was the growing tide of anti-Semitism he was witnessing in Australia and elsewhere. Mr Morrison was already in the UK attending to other engagements when the opportunity to travel to Israel with Mr Johnson arose.

Mr Morrison wrote that while he no longer spoke on behalf of Australians as the prime minister, he was happy to “carry and convey” a message of support for Israel and the Jewish people on their behalf. He added that Iran’s role in the attacks on October 7 needed to be acknowledged and condemned in the strongest terms. “If the UN General Assembly can find the time on around 500 occasions to condemn Israel, perhaps it might consider a motion to condemn Hamas and Iran,” he said.