Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the Digital Economy) Share this | Hansard source

On October 7, one year ago, Israel experienced an horrific, unprovoked attack by the barbaric terrorist organisation Hamas. Some 1,200 men, women and children were killed, over 200 people were taken hostage and some of those sadly have since been killed. A small number have been released. It's estimated that just over 100 are still held, and we hope and pray for them to be released.

I want to acknowledge the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Berowra in their clear, public statements in relation to how we, as the Australian nation, should respond to these dreadful events. Let's be clear: dreadful events have been continuing since 7 October 2023 because, of course, the terrorist organisation Hezbollah, which controls much of Lebanon, has been firing missiles into Israel, forcing some 70,000 people to leave their homes. It's clear that Hamas and Hezbollah are client organisations of the brutal theocratic regime in Iran. In recent months, as well as experiencing military aggression from these two terror organisations, Israel has come under extensive drone and missile attack directly from Iran.

Iran and its various front organisations represent a profound threat not just to the existence of the State of Israel but also to the liberal democratic values which underpin Australia and like-minded nations around the world. That is a key reason why our response, as a nation and as a parliament, to these dreadful events is of enormous importance. We have seen exceptionally troubling developments in this country since that time. We have seen people celebrating this act of terrorism and the appalling murder, violence and sexual violence which accompanied it. We've seen a rise of antisemitism which has led to many Jewish Australians for the first time feeling unsafe. I'm proud to represent an electorate which has the second-largest Jewish community of any in New South Wales, and I have met with my constituents who have told me they feel unsafe, who have told me of episodes of their children being exposed to antisemitic bullying and harassment in school. Sadly, this is something which is facing our Jewish community.

This is a real test of what is special about the Australian nation. We are all intensely proud of living in this enormously successful, multicultural, multi-ethnic, multiracial, multifaith nation, and our success reflects a profoundly Australian spirit of mutual tolerance, understanding and respect. It is vital that we maintain that spirit. A small number—a minority of people, but a troubling minority—are seeking to import into Australia sectarian hatred and violence which have no place here. We see this in the language and symbols used in the pro-Hamas, pro-Hezbollah protests, and there can be little doubt that agents of the Iranian regime are also involved. The great majority of Australians are rightly dismayed at these developments, and Australians recognise that this is a test for our nation and for the leadership of our nation. It is a test which demands in response strong and unequivocal leadership. It is a test which demands in response moral clarity. But we have not seen that from this Prime Minister and this government. We have seen, on a daily basis, calculations as to which gradations of words to use, informed by domestic political considerations and assessments of which seats in Western Sydney may be at risk. This is so much more important than those petty political considerations. This is a contest between good and evil, and we need a clear statement of that, a clear recognition of that.

That brings me to the reason the coalition cannot support the motion in the words it takes, in the form it takes, before the House today. As the Leader of the Opposition and as the member for Berowra eloquently explained, this wording, particularly paragraph (k), is not wording that we're in a position to support. And I note that the changes to the standing orders imposed by the government for this debate specifically prohibit any amendments to the wording of this motion. When we see language about the cycle of violence which makes no reference to how that cycle of violence commenced—with an unprecedented attack in which 1,200 innocent men, women and children were killed—we see the kind of language that reveals the lack of moral clarity that has been a consistent feature of the weak and equivocating positions taken by the Prime Minister and by other senior Labor ministers.

Let's be clear: of course everybody wants to see the people of Israel, the people of Gaza, the people of Lebanon and the people of other Middle Eastern nations living in peace and prosperity. But it is utterly fanciful to think that this objective will be achieved by pressing Israel to take no action in the face of repeated murderous attacks from terrorist organisations that are committed to the destruction of the State of Israel. To ignore that grim reality is to ignore the fundamental challenge and issue here. Unfortunately, the language of this motion reflects the continued equivocation of this Prime Minister and of this government on what should be an issue where there is clarity, an issue where it is accepted and understood and recognised that this is a conflict between good and evil.

I want to quote from Israel's ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Amir Maimon, who said Israel 'did not ask for this war'. He said:

We did not start this war, but we are determined to win this war, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of the free world.

This isn't just another conflict. This is a battle between good and evil, between life and the forces of destruction.

I want to emphasise those words: 'a battle between life and the forces of destruction'. As the member for Berowra eloquently spoke about, the images, the videos from the appalling attack on October 7—horrifyingly, videos taken and distributed in many cases by the terrorist attackers—show people celebrating indiscriminate violence and brutality against men, women and children, including sexual violence: glorification of this horrific treatment of other human beings.

In these circumstances, the response of the State of Israel—a democracy, a longstanding ally and security partner of Australia, a country that is and should be a beacon of hope for nations around the world—to defend itself, to defend its people, to restore order, is a response that is appropriate and proportionate. It is regrettable in the extreme that, at a moment when we should have been able to come together with a motion of this parliament marking the one-year anniversary of this appalling event, the Prime Minister was unable to bring himself to use language which recognised the stark moral clarity of what has occurred here. It is deeply disappointing that the coalition has been put in this position. It is so important that, on this anniversary, we acknowledge the horror and the loss and we express our support for the people of Israel.

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