Alex Antic (SA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the answers given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to questions without notice asked by Opposition senators today relating to the 7 October 2023 Hamas Attacks.

Last year on 7 October, a Saturday evening, I watched the horrendous events play out in Israel, on the border of Gaza, with genuine shock, I have to say—shock at the brutality, shock at the trauma and shock generally at the horrendous scenes. It felt on that day like that part of the world was the very epicentre of evil. It was probably made all the more real by virtue of the fact that those were places which I had actually visited, places which I had seen with my own eyes and places which I had touched. It's very hard to accept that those places and those people were caught up in such horrendous scenes.

But the shock, I have to say, sadly, was not necessarily left on the day. The shock that really hit me was the shock of what transpired after the event. I don't know that any of us were truly ready for the shock of watching the widespread nature of antisemitism in this country unfold at our universities, on our streets on a wider level and, frankly, even in this very building. The children of people at those kibbutzim and towns were swept away by what happened to them, swept away by the villainy of the far left in this country. I don't think any of use were ready for the scenes we saw at the Sydney Opera House, watching people who hold themselves up as preachers of peace, tolerance, diversity and unity but who, in actual fact, practise something quite different—a form of antisemitism and vitriol that was under the surface in this country and that I think many of us had hoped we had seen the last of. But I think people in this country probably have all been quite naive to that. What we've witnessed over the last period of time is people simply replacing the word 'Jewish' with 'Zionist' and thinking that that's enough to get them off the hook for their intolerance.

We've seen, as a result of some of those scenes, the way being cleared for the organisation Hezbollah to praise the anti-Israel rallies across the country here in Australia. We hear so often the empty words out of the mouths of people in this building that words matter, but when it comes to this issue they don't seem to be practising what they preach. I think this has emanated largely from the disappointment that many of us have seen in this very far left government, which is completely out of touch with Australian values and people in this country who are rightly appalled by the events of October 7. We've seen a government that has been all over the shop, trying to be all things to all people, trying to appease those in their own ranks who have a very different worldview to everyday Australians, particularly on this issue.

The country of Israel has every right to defend itself. It has every right to defend its territory and it has every right to defend its people from external threats. We on this side of the chamber want to be on record saying that a coalition government, if elected, will restore moral clarity and act with courage on this issue, because if ever there has been a time which has needed moral courage it has been during the events of the last 12 months. We'll make it clear that the law has to be enforced readily, not reluctantly, against those who are inciting this sort of hatred and violence. The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has made it clear that we would hold a judicial inquiry into antisemitism on our university campuses, because, frankly, the Jewish people and the Jewish community of this country deserve nothing less. Some of the stories coming out of those campuses, of parents with children who are frightened to send their children to university because of the nature of the backlash, are nothing short of appalling and un-Australian.

Finally, we'll make sure that young Australians are equipped with a shield of knowledge to deflect this hatred. Of course, this is part of a wider issue about what our children are being taught in universities and schools and by the media. These are issues which need to be addressed and these are issues which a coalition government will address.

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's somewhat disappointing to see the effort to embroider difference where there is none on a matter of such significance. That is not just about ideas but about the lives of fellow human beings in whatever country they may have been born into and in whatever territory they may have been born into. I find that profoundly disappointing, when only last night, on the evening of 7 October, so many of us from across the parliament gathered to stand in solidarity with the people of Israel at the Embassy of Israel. I believe people of goodwill in every country around the world recall with horror the news as it emerged after that terrible attack that was perpetrated by the terrorist organisation Hamas last year on 7 October 2023.

Unrest in the Middle East is something that has been a part of modern political discussion for a long time. Senator Sterle, who sits beside me here in the parliament, was talking about his time as chair of the parliamentary friendship group of Israel. It is in that role that I spoke last night at the embassy, not too far from here. I want to put on the record the work of the parliamentary friendship group of Israel, a multiparty group, which belies some of the divisive commentary that seems to be being brought forward at this point in the debate.

This was the statement that we, as the friendship group, put out within a mere 48 hours of the attack on the sovereign state of Israel by Hamas terrorists who, highly armed, swarmed over the border in their thousands:

… we unequivocally condemn the attacks on Israel by terrorist group Hamas.

The targeting of civilians and indiscriminate violence by Hamas is resulting in a devastating loss of life across the region and is a heartbreaking setback for the security of both Israeli and Palestinian people.

The state of Israel has an unimpeachable right to exist, and to defend itself.

We stand in friendship and solidarity with the people of Israel.

Our thoughts are with all those who are affected by this conflict, and in particular with the families of those who have lost their lives or have been taken hostage.

We pledge to continue our work with Australia's Jewish community and the Israeli diaspora.

We seek to promote peace within the region and the security of Israel, now and always.

It was signed over two pages by more than 30 parliamentarians from every party. Nothing has changed from that day in terms of the unanimity of view: those of us who were outraged then remain outraged now.

For the record, let's just be clear about the joint statement on 16 October last year in both houses. I'm recalling the Senate Hansard here, which echoes exactly the statement in the House of Representatives. These are the first two points of the statement, which starts at (a) and goes to (p). The first point states:

That the Senate—

That's all of us in this together—

(a) unequivocally condemns the attacks on Israel by Hamas, which are the heinous acts of terrorists, and have encompassed the targeting and murder of civilians, including women and children, the taking of hostages, and indiscriminate rocket fire;

The second point states:

(b) stands with Israel and recognises its inherent right to defend itself;

That remains the case.

Tearing at the fabric of Australian society for some perceived potential political gain at a time when we know that antisemitism is on the rise all around the world, including in our own community, is a disgraceful ploy. I, as a Labor person, am so proud to stand alongside Senator David Fawcett, a member of the Liberal-National coalition, to say that we support Israel and that we support peace in the region, and there is nothing to be ashamed about in standing together in that plight.

Andrew Bragg (NSW, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Home Ownership) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In rising to take note of the answers given to questions today in the Senate, I say that it is not anyone's desire to make these matters that are not only matters of foreign policy but also very complicated domestic matters into matters that become political or partisan in any way. But it is the job of the opposition to point out where we believe the government of Australia has made mistakes and is taking the country in the wrong direction. In relation to the way in which the government has expressed itself in terms not only of foreign policy but also of domestic affairs, this is one area where we disagree with the government's approach, and we take issue with the weakness in the government's expression and the weakness in how it has been unprepared to defend Israel as it has fought off aggressive attacks from terrorists—people working with Hamas who took more than 1,200 lives in a single day and who have kept hundreds of people captive for 12 months. We take issue with the government's unwillingness to explain why it is that a country like Australia, a member of the liberal democratic order, a country of Western values, has not been prepared to argue the case that Israel and Australia have links through these systems that we have inherited from our forebears and that is why we have respected Israel's effort to repel these terrorists.

It has also been a matter of great disappointment that we have pointed out on a number of occasions, including today in question time, that there have been some bizarre decisions made by this government. Why has it been prepared to fund organisations that have platformed extreme views here in our own country? Why has it been that people like Khaled Beydoun have been given visas to enter Australia—a person who has said in relation to 7 October that today is not a day that is full of mourning; today is a day that marks celebration? We are shocked that the Australian government would provide a visa to someone that wants to turn 7 October from a day of mourning into a day of celebration.

The false equivalence that the government has made here between antisemitism and Islamophobia is also weakness. I know people who have felt more safe or would be more safe in Israel, as it has fought off aggressive attacks, than they feel in Sydney or Melbourne, and that is a shocking indictment for us to consider at this time. So there has been weakness in the expression of foreign policy and the false equivalence that the government has sought to place in relation to antisemitism and Islamophobia. The fact the government has not been prepared to ask the Iranian ambassador to leave Canberra is again more of the same.

And then, of course, it is hugely regrettable to hear the left of politics with its obsession with Israel. It has no interest in any other foreign conflict. It has nothing to say about the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but it is obsessed with Israel as it fights off terrorists in the form of Hamas but also in the form of Hezbollah. That is the most disappointing thing. There is a fog which has descended on the left of Australian politics where it cannot see that Israel, as a fellow democracy, is fighting for its life against a slew of people that we would not want to do any business with. They are against humanity. That is the most disappointing thing—that the government has failed to articulate a strong case for Australia's moral position at home but also abroad.

Karen Grogan (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I stand here with a very heavy heart—heavy for the pain of war in the Middle East and heavy for the unconscionable behaviour of those opposite and those in the Greens political party in this chamber. We on this side in the Labor Party unequivocally condemn all prejudice and hatred. There is no place in Australia for discrimination against people of any faith or background. As we mourn and reflect at this point in time, we also reaffirm a fundamental principle of our shared humanity: every innocent life matters. That's every Palestinian, that's every Israeli, and that's every Lebanese person.

We on this side of the chamber are pressing for a ceasefire for increased humanitarian access, for the release of hostages and to prevent regional escalation. We urgently need diplomatic solutions. The Middle East needs to be de-escalated. There needs to be movement for de-escalation to prevent any further atrocities than what we have seen. As we are pressing for a ceasefire and pressing for civilians to be protected, the hostages must be released, and aid must flow. We're also calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, and those displaced civilians on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border must be able to safely return to their homes. Australia and our international partners have been really clear. We want to see peace now and we want to see the cycle of violence end. International law must be observed, and we all must do everything we can to seek to end this war.

The dishonest lines of questioning that we have seen today by the coalition and the Greens as they fixate on politicising what is a human tragedy are, I think, disgraceful to this place, to this chamber. Cherry-picking elements of this devastating war for their own political purposes shows a total and utter lack of respect for the unbelievable pain, grief and loss across the Middle East and the impact that has on communities and families across the world and right here at home, in Australia. You should really be deeply ashamed of yourselves.

As Senator Wong pointed out, Mr Burgess made some good comments that we should all really deeply consider the need to watch our language, the need to understand the direct connection between the words and the tone used and the actions that they then promote or insight in the broader elements of our community. As political leaders, we all need to think about the responsibility we have, the responsibility placed upon us when we were elected to this place, and think long and hard about what we say and how we say it. Ask yourself: Are you amplifying distress? Are your words inciting violence? Are you blatantly lying for your own political purposes? Are you seeking a solution to end the war? No, I don't think you are. But you should be. Are you actually just picking a side and joining in, when it is beholden upon us to be better than that, to rise above that and to seek peaceful international solutions?

I say again, we unequivocally condemn all prejudice and hatred. There is no place in Australia for discrimination against people of any faith. We also reaffirm that fundamental principle of shared humanity. Every innocent life matters. And we need to show some leadership in this place and stop using this atrocious war for our political purposes.

Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to take note of all answers to all coalition questions. It's been a challenging question time to sit through. Yesterday, many of us were involved in a series of different events around the country to respect the memory of the over 1,200 innocent people who were murdered on October 7. I think what concerns us all collectively is that there are still people that don't accept or acknowledge that what transpired on that day was grossly unacceptable, that what happened on that day was, in fact, an act of terrorism, a massacre of innocent people. What disturbs us and what was the context of many of our questions was that, instead of remembering and respecting that and allowing our Jewish communities to grieve yesterday, many groups still decided yesterday was an appropriate day to celebrate, to draw on the fact that there was something good they could point to as a result of October 7. Our questions pointed to the fact that that kind of position in Australia is unacceptable. I say that as a first generation Australian, someone who is a product of multicultural Australia and someone who understands the importance of living in harmony when the place that your own family came from doesn't have harmony.

We're particularly concerned that there are extremist organisations talking about October 7 being a day of courage and a day of celebration, and we fairly question whether those organisations should be given government grants for different things. They are things that need to be answered and they are things that need to be understood. If those types of organisations are being given funding that is not being used appropriately, then we need to ensure that it never happens again. Let us be clear: we should not be funding organisations that support terrorism, and Hamas and Hezbollah are both listed terrorist organisations. If we go on to the national security website, they are clearly listed there, with definitions and explanations as to why.

If there are people who come into our country, under the guise of any form of tourist visa or a holiday visa—whatever it is—and incite division and vilification, then that, too, should be unacceptable, and that relates to our questions about whether one of the individuals at one of the protests on the weekend will have his visa revoked. We have, for good reason, character requirements for visas, and they state very clearly that you are not of good character, in relation to that visa, if you harass, intimidate or stalk another person; vilify a segment of the Australian community; or incite discord in the Australian community or any part of it. They are the reasons for those questions, and answers to those questions are very important.

I also note Senator Wong's comments around the need for us to consider our language—how it can inflame tensions, how it can inflame violence. I want to finish by pointing to the actions of the Australian Greens in holding up placards during question time. That doesn't help any of us. It doesn't help us achieve any good outcome, and it doesn't help the Australian Jewish community, who have suffered extraordinarily since October 7. It doesn't help any of the young women who were raped and mutilated and murdered on that day and whose only crime that day was being Jewish.

Question agreed to.