Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Berowra for his question. I know that he as a proud Jewish Australian was hurt, as were other members of the Jewish community right around not just Australia but the world, by the horrific events of 7 October. They also shocked anyone with any human values at all.

One of the things that I've said to people here who have been in any way equivocal—unlike the government, which has been unequivocal, as has the opposition in their condemnation of what happened on October 7—is that the people who were there at the Nova music festival looked like a whole lot of people who would attend a Splendour in the Grass concert or who would attend the sorts of events that happen here in Australia, where young people celebrate their common humanity, where they engage in fun and where they also tend to be people who are open to ideas and open to collaboration with people across different faiths. One of the things that some of the Jewish community leaders have said to me in the wake of October 7 is that they are precisely the sorts of people who want to see peace and reconciliation with the Palestinians as well. There they were, very close to where the border was. To have them subjected to the horrific murder, rape, abuse and kidnapping of people that occurred is horrific. It would be horrific if it occurred to any human being. But, of course, one of the reasons why the world came together in the wake of World War II and in the wake of the Holocaust was to—

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