Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Wong. Was the minister for health articulating the foreign policy of the Albanese government when he said yesterday, 'No self-respecting nation would fail to defend itself if attacked the way Israel has been; Israel has the right to defend itself and to respond to these attacks'? Why did it take the minister for health to speak with more clarity than the Prime Minister, the defence minister or you as the foreign minister could manage?

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

I thank the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate for the question. I would make the point to him that we have in fact spoken about Israel's right to defend itself from day one. I went back to the motion which we drafted—the bipartisan motion immediately after October 7's horrific events, horrific attacks—and in that motion that we put to the opposition and that was ultimately supported on a bipartisan basis there's reference to the fact that Israel has a right to defend itself. In fact, my recollection is that, last week, the Prime Minister made that same point. I said the same thing on Thursday. The Prime Minister made the same point again on Friday, and the Deputy Prime Minister made the same point on the Sunday. In other words, that has been the consistent position.

But I would make this point. What we also say is how Israel defends itself matters. What we also say is that international law matters. What we also say is that international humanitarian law which protects us all also matters. That is a consistent position. It may be a position that the opposition have difficulty with—to have a position which says very clearly that we believe that there is a moral imperative for the upholding of international law, which includes the protection of civilians, because that protects us all. It protects all of us. Australia should always stand on the ground of adherence to international law, including relevantly the protection of civilians and the various other aspects of the Geneva conventions and international law which protect us all.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, first supplementary?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Butler expressly identified Israel's right to respond to these attacks, words that multiple government ministers had been asked about in recent weeks and had obfuscated around. Does Israel's right to defend itself and to respond include the right to respond to Iran's missile attacks on Israel?

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

In my press conference in Geelong on Thursday I went specifically to this point—that Israel has the right to defend itself against Iran's attacks. This is the problem with the political attacks of the opposition on this. They don't actually look at what we have said because they are not interested in what we have said. What they are interested in is creating political division.

But I would also make this point. The opposition seems to be of the view that the position we've articulated is somehow different to those of our principal allies. I'll quote from the G7's statement on 3 October:

A dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation risks fuelling uncontrollable escalation in the Middle East … Therefore, we call on all regional players to act responsibly and with restraint.

That same G7 statement also called for de-escalation in Lebanon. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Birmingham, second supplementary?

Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Does the Albanese government agree that Israel's inherent right to self-defence necessitates it to remove the terrorist threat from its borders?

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

I again go back—I know that Mr Abbott wants to dictate what Israel's defence tactics should be from Australia. What we say, as a matter of principle, is that Israel has a right to defend itself and that it is also the case that international law is to be respected. So people are clear, I make the point that the G7 itself, again on 3 October, made this statement:

We are also deeply concerned about the situation in Lebanon. We recall the need for a cessation of hostilities as soon as possible to create space for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

So we are very clearly where the majority of the international community is at. You are prosecuting a different position, and we all know why.