James Morrow: ‘Weak and timid’ Albo washing his hands over ICC’s Israel call

The PM is willing to damage his nation’s ties with historic allies, all but washing his hands over the International Criminal Court bid to arrest his Israeli counterpart for war crimes, writes James Morrow.

What do Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump have in common?

Far more, certainly, than the Australian prime minister would care to admit.

For nearly a decade now, leaders like Donald Trump have been accused of abandoning traditional liberal democratic allies like NATO because they are, their critics charge, “right wing populists.”

Well, if that’s true, than what does that make Anthony Albanese?

Consider that this week the International Criminal Court bent law and morality out of all recognizable shape, making a bid to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence chief Yoav Gallant along with three Hamas terrorists.

Put aside the bizarre moral equivalence, which would have been like putting General Macarthur and Admiral Tojo on the same plane during the war in the Pacific.

For Australians, the far more appalling thing to behold was the prime minister all but washing his hands of the matter, refusing to comment on the case.

Albanese has become a left wing populist, willing to damage his nation’s ties with historic allies. Picture:NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The ICC has bid to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Picture: AFP

Contrast this with the actions of both the Democrat Biden administration in Washington and Rishi Sunak’s conservative government in the UK.

Both leaders condemned the ICC seeking arrest warrants against the Israelis.

So, where does that leave us?

To put it bluntly, Albanese has become a left wing populist, willing to damage his nation’s ties with historic allies and fellow liberal democracies to appease a domestic constituency.

Only this time, the voters Albanese is seeking to please are not Trump voters wanting America to focus on the home front before trying to solve all the problems of the world.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has applied for arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu along with three Hamas terrorists. Picture: AFP

Instead, he is seeking to appease both the radical left, which ranges from the Greens to many factions within his own Labor party, and Muslim voters concentrated in western suburban seats determined to use their political muscle to change Australian foreign policy.

In the process, Albanese is making himself and his government look weak and timid, as if it is no longer in charge of the show but rather doing everything it can to fend off assaults from within.

The damage, of course, is incalculable.

While Australia obviously must not follow Washington blindly, so too must we not be seen to abandoning our allies and saying “it’s all too hard” in a global fight that is much bigger than what is happening in Gaza.

This is not the first time, either, Australia has walked away from the table rather than take a stand: Recall the failure to send a ship to help keep sea lanes open against Houthi rebels targeting container ships.

Israel, which is fighting an existential contest for its own survival against an enemy that makes no bones about its intent to wipethe Jewish state off the face of the Earth eventually, needs all the help it can get.

Originally published as James Morrow: ‘Weak and timid’ Albo washing his hands over ICC’s Israel call