Of course, saying that Hamas are a vile terrorist group in no way diminishes support for Palestinian statehood and a just settlement, and I acknowledge in particular the members of the opposition who’ve chosen not to play politics with this and to acknowledge that simple point. Saying this also in no way negates the legitimate criticisms over many years of the Israeli government’s settlement policies and the occupation.
Mr HILL (Bruce) (18:13): I also grieve for those innocent Israelis, Palestinians and those from other nations who’ve lost their lives in the latest shocking atrocities in Israel and the occupied territories. The pain of those families who’ve lost loved ones in Israel and Gaza or who wait anxiously to hear of the fate of hostages from multiple countries across the world is profound. None of us can really know that. We can try and bear witness to it and acknowledge it and honour it, but it’s not our pain to know.
Make no mistake: this is an utter tragedy for the innocent Israelis and innocent Palestinians, who are victims in this. What is happening now is a terrible, horrible situation, and I fear greatly for what will come in the days and weeks ahead and the potential for escalation of violence in Israel, Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and neighbouring countries.
It is also horrific for the Australian Jewish and Muslim communities, distraught at the fate of loved ones, their brothers and sisters, and at the prospect of peace in this long-troubled region. The overwhelming majority of Australian Jews and Australian Muslims that I know are good people. They are good Australians who desperately want to see a just resolution to this conflict.
This parliament is right to condemn unreservedly the attack by terrorist group Hamas on innocent civilians. These murderous attacks were designed deliberately to provoke terror and international outrage. But one of the numerous tragic aspects of this attack, beyond the horrific and immediate impacts on human life, is that the actions of Hamas are not in the interests of Palestinians. Hamas’s actions hamper efforts to achieve the two-state solution for which I and most Australians have long advocated, and I know that you Madam Deputy Speaker Vamvakinou, have been at the forefront of that effort for many years in this parliament. Australia has rightly condemned the attacks by Hamas, including indiscriminate rocket attacks fired on cities and civilians and the horrific taking of hostages. Hamas do not represent the interests of Palestinians and they do not care about human life. They do not care about the lives of Jewish people, whom they seek to slaughter. They do not care about the lives of the Palestinian people, whom they use as cannon fodder for their political aims. And they do not care about the lives of citizens of other countries.
Of course, saying that Hamas are a vile terrorist group in no way diminishes support for Palestinian statehood and a just settlement, and I acknowledge in particular the members of the opposition who’ve chosen not to play politics with this and to acknowledge that simple point. Saying this also in no way negates the legitimate criticisms over many years of the Israeli government’s settlement policies and the occupation.
All human life is sacred and innocent civilians should be protected. In that context, of course Israel has an inherent right to defend itself, and it should not be controversial to state that that right is not unfettered and does not and cannot justify any action or the indiscriminate mass killing of innocent Palestinians in response. Australia has consistently and loudly said that Israel must act within the rules of war. Australia has expressed a principled view that Israel and all actors should seek to protect civilian lives. The overwhelming feedback I’ve had from my community is the concern and the need to protect human life and ensure that Australia’s response, along with that of the rest of the international community, equally values the lives of people in Gaza—innocent Palestinians—and of Israelis and their collective suffering and loss. I share this concern and, in doing so, I decry the gross politicisation of this tragedy by the Leader of the Opposition in a certain national broadsheet.
An overwhelming message from my community now is despair and terror at what may be coming in the days and weeks ahead and a cry that the mass punishment of two million people in Gaza is not a proportionate response and that this is a trap that Israel must not fall into. It is what Hamas are trying to provoke. It seems clear that there is a geopolitical element to this organised attack by Hamas that has little to do with the conflict and occupation and much to do with regional geopolitics in Iran. I agree with the many speakers who have called out the nefarious and insidious impact of Iran.
The international community is right to expect that humanitarian aid will be allowed through and that innocent civilians will be protected, and I welcome the government’s allocation of $10 million of additional and immediate humanitarian aid funding for the people of Gaza.
Antisemitism is to be utterly condemned, and the fear that the Australian Jewish community is now feeling is unacceptable. Antisemitism hurts us all, as we’re a multicultural and proudly diverse nation. Islamophobia is corrosive and unacceptable and hurts us all. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess was right to call for calm in the Australian community, and responsible political leaders will heed this call. I’ll continue to speak up for peace and a just resolution.
I hope that all of us are guided by a common principle of a just and enduring peace, a negotiated two-state solution in which Israel and a future Palestinian state co-exist in peace and security within internationally recognised borders. Though that day sadly seems further away than before these attacks, we must never give up on peace.