Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of Hamas' terror attacks on Israel which took place on 7 October 2023, in which more than 1,200 innocent Israelis were killed, the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust;

(b) recognises that hundreds more innocent people were subjected to brutality and violence on that day;

(c) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all remaining hostages;

(d) condemns the murder of hostages and the inhumane conditions and violence, including sexual violence, that hostages have experienced;

(e) mourns with all impacted by these heinous acts;

(f) condemns antisemitism in all its forms and stands with Jewish Australians who have felt the cold shadows of antisemitism reaching into the present day;

(g) reiterates Australia's consistent position to call for the protection of civilian lives and adherence to international law;

(h) mourns the death of all innocent civilians, recognising the number of Palestinian civilians killed in Gaza, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation;

(i) supports ongoing international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance in Gaza and Lebanon;

(j) calls for Iran to cease its destabilising actions, including through terrorist organisations the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas, condemns Iran's attacks on Israel and recognises Israel's right to defend itself against these attacks;

(k) stresses the need to break the cycle of violence and supports international efforts to de-escalate, for a ceasefire in Gaza and in Lebanon, and for lasting peace and security for Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese and all people in the region;

(l) affirms its support for a two-state solution, a Palestinian State alongside Israel, so that Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders, as the only option to ensure a just and enduring peace;

(m) recognises the conflict is deeply distressing for many in the Australian community;

(n) condemns all acts of hatred, division or violence, affirming that they have no place in Australia; and

(o) reaffirms:

(i) that symbols of terror and discord are unwelcome in Australia and undermine our nation's peace and security,

(ii) that undermining social cohesion and unity by stoking fear and division risks Australia's domestic security, and

(iii) the responsibility of each Australian to safeguard the harmony and unity that define our diverse society, especially in times of adversity.

On the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks, we reflect on the horrific terrorist atrocity that reverberated around the world. We condemn Hamas's terrorism unequivocally. We call for the release of hostages immediately. October 7 is a day of grief. It is a day of pain: more than 1,200 innocent Israelis dead, the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust. And so October 7 is also a day that recalls humanity's darkest memories: six million European Jews killed in the Holocaust following thousands of years of persecution and atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people, this history being what finally resolved the international community to create the State of Israel. This history was brought back in our lifetimes as Hamas terrorists hunted down men, women and children in their homes, snatched people from their homes and targeted young people and a music festival with cold, brutal calculation—babies, the infirm, the elderly survivors of the Holocaust who had been promised 'never again' with the creation of Israel. Among those killed by Hamas was Australian Galit Carbone, and her family remains in my thoughts today and always will.

I commend to the Senate the excellent contribution by the Prime Minister earlier today. He talked about where we are a year on. He said:

We think of all whose lives and futures were stolen from them that day, as they tried to save themselves and their loved ones, and of all who have had them stolen since. We think of those whose lives remain suspended in the fear and isolation of captivity. And we think of those whose own lives and hearts are so intimately connected with the hostages who were kidnapped that day through the bonds of either blood or the embrace of friendship and community. This has been a year of pain, of loss and of grief.

He went on to say:

… this past year must have felt like a cruel eternity … their torment of not knowing the fate of a loved one who's been taken hostage or, indeed, having the terrible truth confirmed …

That horrific day spawned a terrible year of devastating loss of civilian life. Over 40,000 Palestinians have died, including over 11,000 Palestinian children, in Israel's response. It has been a humanitarian catastrophe. We've seen the displacement of millions. We've seen growing danger throughout the region as conflict spreads and escalates, growing numbers of Lebanese civilians killed or forced to flee their homes. And hostages are still held, with the daily agony of waiting and not knowing. There is no doubting the need for this suffering to end. There is no doubting the need for a ceasefire in Gaza. There is no doubting the need for peace and a ceasefire for Lebanon. There's no doubting the need to break the endless cycle of violence that grips the region and robs its future.

In the days following these horrific attacks, the Senate endorsed a wide-ranging bipartisan motion condemning the attacks on Israel by Hamas and supporting international law. In speaking to this, I said:

Australians are rightly distressed by this situation, and that distress is felt most acutely in our Jewish and Palestinian communities. This is a long, complex and disputed history, deeply felt, closely to the heart of many. The lived experiences and understandings of our different Australian communities are distinct.

…   …   …

… so I ask all of us: when we speak, let us speak with respect … understanding for difference. We should reject all in this country who seek to create division. We should all be striving for unity. We reject hate and condemn prejudice and discrimination in all its forms. We reject the terror perpetrated by Hamas and separate their heinous acts from the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Palestinian people. We stand firmly against antisemitism. We stand against Islamophobia. We stand against prejudice. We stand against hate speech in all its forms and we call it out when and where we see it. We must maintain mutual respect for each other here at home … We must preserve our uniquely harmonious multicultural character. It is why people come to this country and it is who we are as a country.

That's what I said on 16 October in this place.

It really grieves me that some in this building have taken the opposite path. Rather than focusing on what unites us in our community, too many have seen political benefit in exploiting differences for political gain. We've seen people who claim to be political leaders try to reproduce Middle East conflicts here. We've seen people spread falsehoods to manipulate pain and inflame anger, and at both ends of this issue we see politicians who would rather radicalise then unite. I say to this chamber that I don't think Australians want that. Australians know that it does nothing for our country. It does nothing to honour the dead. It does nothing to help the living, the people whose lives have been upended, sometimes destroyed, by the conflict in the Middle East.

Even today, in the House of Representatives, Mr Dutton refused to support a motion because it went beyond just words of comfort and words of recognition in relation to October 7. I would remind Mr Dutton that the motion he endorsed a year ago included the acknowledgement of the devastating loss of both Israeli and Palestinian life and an acknowledgement of the innocent civilians on all sides; supported justice and freedoms for Israelis and Palestinians; supported international efforts to establish and maintain humanitarian access into Gaza, including safe passage for civilians; and reiterated that Australia's current position in all contexts is to call for the protection of civilian lives and the observance of international law. That's what he signed up to last year—now look at his words. It's so disappointing that the man who seeks to be the alternative Prime Minister walks away from his previous position in order to be as divisive as possible. Mr Dutton always seeks to divide Australians, even when we most need to come together.

Underlying these political attempts to exploit grief is a fundamental distortion of reality—the suggestion that somehow it is uniquely in Australia's power to stop the conflict in the Middle East. We are not a central player in the Middle East. We are a respected voice, and we use that voice. We use it to advocate for the release of hostages. We use it to advocate for aid to flow. We use it to advocate for international humanitarian law to be upheld, including the protection of civilians and aid workers. We are being generous with our aid, with more than $80 million to support civilians devastated by this conflict. We are convening ministers from influential countries to pursue a new international declaration for the protection of humanitarian personnel. We are working with the international community to press for a two-state solution as the only hope to end this cycle of violence. We are working with the international community, including the US, the EU, the UK, Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, in calling for a ceasefire in Lebanon. We support the G7 leader statement from 3 October, which called for de-escalation and diplomacy at the same time as affirming Israel's security.

It is only through diplomatic efforts, ultimately, that we can end the suffering and foster peace. But, instead, we are seeing conflict worsen, with tragic consequences for innocent civilians. We again call on Iran to cease its destabilising actions, including through its terrorist proxies, the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas. Iran's missile attacks are an extremely dangerous escalation. In response to Iran's attacks on Israel, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister and I have been clear that, under international law, Israel has a right to defend itself, and that includes a capacity to respond. However, we repeat our call for all sides to observe international law. Iran's attacks are an escalation at a time when what we need is de-escalation.

At this time, on this anniversary, we are reminded of the sanctity of human life and the value of peace. At this time, we remember that all innocent lives have equal value: Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese—all of us; no exceptions. We remind ourselves that peace must be our purpose and our pursuit. The best way we can honour those lost is through the peace we help forge in their memory.