Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge the unimaginable pain, anguish and suffering of the 101 remaining hostages, their families, their friends and their communities, and of all Jewish people here in Australia and around the world. The 7 October attack represented an organised massacre of Jewish people on a scale not seen in any of our lifetimes. We witnessed suffering that continues to be unimaginable. It must not be ignored, and it must not be diminished.

One year on, we are reminded that our efforts must not stop until every one of those hostages is accounted for. Those hostages, including a baby, are held in conditions that defy comprehension. There are hostages who remain in chains. There are hostages who remain in fear of being executed. There are hostages who are trapped, away from their families and their loved ones. They must all be brought home.

It is our duty to commit to memory the events of that day, to stand against the tide of denial and distortion and to honour the memory of those victims who have lost their lives. It is our duty to keep our thoughts with those 101 hostages and their families as they continue to suffer unimaginable horrors. It is also our duty to stand against the rot of antisemitism that the atrocities of October 7 have exposed here in Australia. Since that day we have seen members of the Australian Jewish community endure amazing and immense hostility, intimidation and aggression from fellow Australians. This is not only unacceptable but quite unimaginable in a nation such as ours, a nation that prides itself on being welcoming to people of all faiths and all backgrounds, on being an accepting and safe community that embraces all cultures.

In line with the values of our nation, the Australian Jewish community must be provided with the protection and the support which they deserve, particularly in this time of great grief. Together, we must stand against evil, an evil which saw 1,200 Jews murdered on 7 October 2023, an evil which still holds 101 people hostage and which attempts to infiltrate our community with hate. My thoughts are with the entire Jewish community. I stand with Israel. Let's bring them home.

Quorum formed.