Tony Burke blasted on ‘appalling’ stance on Israel

Tony Burke refuses to repudiate claims of Israel genocide, and backs the flying of the Palestinian flag by a council in his electorate.

Employment Minister Tony Burke says he is proud that a council in his electorate is flying the Palestinian flag. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Labor’s split on Israel has widened as cabinet minister Tony Burke refused to repudiate suggestions of “genocide” against Palestinians, and members of the party’s Right faction condemned the downplaying of the Hamas “acts of evil”.

The fresh fractures in the party came amid new national security warnings that the escalating ­Israel-Hamas war is threatening social cohesion in Australia, and posing risks to Australians abroad.

Questions were raised on ­Friday about the decision to go ahead with flying nine Palestinian flags at Melbourne’s Federation Square for Palestinian National Day weeks after the Hamas ­attacks that killed 1400 Jews.

Mr Burke backed the flying of the Palestinian flag in his western Sydney electorate and allowed suggestions of Israeli “genocide” and “apartheid” against Palestinians to stand during an ABC interview. “I don’t want to get into the ­debate about the labels,” he said in comments that infuriated Jewish groups. Mr Burke said his constituents, who are 25 per cent Muslim, were distraught over “so many ­images of dead babies”, and warned ­Gazans were “moments away from horrific impacts”.

His comments followed ­accusations of Israeli war crimes by cabinet colleague Ed Husic, who said Israel‘s siege on Gaza amounted to collective ­punishment.

Pro-Israel Labor figures hit back in a letter to the wider labour movement that Hamas had crossed a line into “barbarism”, hitting out at Australians who “sought to downplay, minimise, or excuse these acts of evil”.

The mainly state Labor figures from the party’s right faction said: “We are angry that a minority of elected representatives of the Australian people failed to condemn apologetics for Hamas or qualified their condemnation.”

The letter also suggested Hamas had crossed a line into “genocidal chaos”.

Signatories included former Northern Territory chief minister Michael Gunner, former senator Jacinta Collins, former NSW treasurer Eric Roozendaal, and former Victorian government minister Jaala Pulford.

Some federal Labor MPs also expressed concern that a lack of discipline shown by some cabinet ministers was exposing the cracks in the party on the issue.

Senior members of the government argued Mr Burke had undermined Anthony Albanese’s position on the Middle East conflict by freelancing on foreign ­affairs policy and were disappointed he did not push back on claims Israel was engaging in genocide. While not criticising Mr Burke for his comments directly, senior minister Bill Shorten said on Friday it was “important that Australia‘s political leaders build social cohesion”.

National security agencies fear the fallout from the war in ­Israel could pose threats to Australians in Southeast Asia, Western Europe and the United States, and may inspire domestic attacks as the conflict escalates.

Media representatives at a ­national security briefing on Friday heard authorities were on alert for the potential for violence in Australia by Islamist and neo-Nazi groups, amid fears terrorist groups could take advantage of community tensions.

Officials fear the tensions will permeate Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia, and there are concerns Australians in Western Europe and the US could also be caught up in ­violence inspired by the war.

The domestic terrorist threat level remains at “possible”, with the risk of sporadic violence ­inspired by the war.

In Melbourne, Palestinian flags were hoisted – reportedly booked a year before – for what was supposed to be a Palestinian National Day celebration at Federation Square.

The Palestinian Advocacy Network said the celebration would be turned to a vigil for the war dead in Gaza. Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the city council had no control over what flags flew in the CBD’s central square.

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said he did not think the Palestinian flag was an insensitive symbol, but that Federation Square was reckless to fly now.

While there have been calls by international terrorist groups ­including ISIS and al-Qaeda for ­attacks on Jews, there are no signs yet that attacks are being contemplated in Australia. But the prospect of a full ground invasion of Gaza worries security agencies.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO, Alex Ryvchin, lashed Mr Burke‘s comments and those of ABC ­interviewer Patricia Karvelas.

“Genocide isn’t a buzzword. It is the most heinous crime a nation can commit and involves the ­deliberate extermination of an ethnic group,” he said. “Likening Israel’s war with Hamas and mission to rescue its captives to that crime degrades the understanding of actual genocide and inflames passions locally. Language matters and leadership matters. We ­expect better.”

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein also condemned what he called “vile and ridiculous statements” by Mr Burke, accusing the minister of playing to his local voters.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said Australia should not draw a “false moral equivalence” ­between the actions of Hamas and Israel.

“Hamas launched a targeted, deliberate assault against civilians,” he said. “Israel, in defence of their ­nation, are trying to disable Hamas from being a terrorist threat in the future.”