The coalition joins with every other person of decent humanity in condemning this attack by Hamas militants on Israel. Israel has every right to exist. Israel has every right to defend itself and its people. Israel has every right to deter future attacks and other acts of aggression, of coercion and of interference. The coalition supports, and proudly supports, Israel’s right to do what is necessary and needed in the circumstances, with every asset available to safeguard its sovereignty, to bolster its borders, to protect its people and to thwart the threats it now faces—the existential threats. There must be no restraint shown to those who have shown no restraint themselves in committing these vicious and vile acts of terrorism.
Mr DUTTON (Dickson—Leader of the Opposition) (11:47): I want to thank the Prime Minister for his words and for discussions that we’ve been involved in this morning in relation to the substance of the motion. It’s remarkable that this attack on 7 October was just a total act of sheer barbarity. The images, the shocking betrayal and the interpretation of what took place mean that no longer can the sympathisers of these murderous terrorists call them freedom fighters. No longer can the apologists of this death cult claim they have a just and noble cause. What occurred nine days ago was the embodiment of evil, and the abhorrent acts of Hamas’s inhumanity have been evident for the world to see: missiles raining down on Israeli cities; militants invading Israeli territory; a massacre of young people at a music festival; civilians gunned down in their cars, fired upon while fleeing and executed in the streets after surrendering; women being raped and being stripped naked, dragged and displayed through the streets; lifeless and mutilated bodies being paraded on the backs of utilities; mothers and fathers riddled with bullets as they used their bodies to cover their children in a final act of bravery; jihadists cheering over the dead bodies of Israeli soldiers; babies being beheaded.
We pray for all of those innocent people who have been abducted and are currently being held as hostages, having been taken to Gaza, especially the elderly and the children. The monsters of Hamas will continue to use them as human shields. We saw images over the weekend of a Hamas militant nursing toddlers who had been abducted from Israel. If we needed any more convincing of Hamas’s unashamed sadism, it’s the glee that they have displayed in stating that they will film and post online the execution of those little boys and girls, those men and women, those survivors of the Holocaust.
We know that more than 1,000 Israelis are dead and thousands more are wounded. As others have observed, 7 October was Israel’s September 11. It was, with great shame, the greatest loss of Jewish life on a single day since the end of the Holocaust. It was the most major attack on Israel since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Let us be under no misapprehension about the nature of the attack: like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Hamas’s invasion of Israel was unprovoked, it was unjust and it was absolutely unacceptable. And let us be under no misapprehension about Hamas’s intent from this point: it has no desire for a peaceful two-state solution. Its actions were designed to derail the peace process. Hamas wants to remove Israel from the map and drive people of Jewish faith into the sea.
The coalition joins with every other person of decent humanity in condemning this attack by Hamas militants on Israel. Israel has every right to exist. Israel has every right to defend itself and its people. Israel has every right to deter future attacks and other acts of aggression, of coercion and of interference. The coalition supports, and proudly supports, Israel’s right to do what is necessary and needed in the circumstances, with every asset available to safeguard its sovereignty, to bolster its borders, to protect its people and to thwart the threats it now faces—the existential threats. There must be no restraint shown to those who have shown no restraint themselves in committing these vicious and vile acts of terrorism.
I had the honour of speaking the other day to the Australian resident ambassador of Israel, His Excellency Amir Maimon. I say to him and to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to the people of Israel in their darkest hours: the coalition wishes you swift success in a war you did not choose but a war which you are compelled to fight.
The events unfolding abroad are disturbing for the many Australians who have close ties to Israel and Palestine. Some Australians will have family and friends caught up on both sides of this horrible conflict. Let me make this important point: events abroad must be no justification for rising tensions within our own communities. It’s particularly repugnant that some Australians have decided to take to the streets to celebrate Hamas’s attack on Israel and the slaughter of innocent Israeli children, women and men. We heard an odious barrage of comments on the attacks, describing them—in our country!—as a day of pride and a day of victory. Moreover, the rally which occurred on the evening of Monday 9 October at the Sydney Opera House was an abomination and a day of shame for our nation.
Australia’s Jewish community were unable to gather at our iconic landmark, which, to the credit of the NSW government, had been illuminated in blue and white as a sign of support. They wanted to be there to mourn loved ones who have been lost and to express their solidarity. The anti-Israel protesters fired flares, burnt an Israeli flag and shouted words that we should never here in our country or anywhere else in the civilised world, including ‘Gas the Jews’, ‘F the Jews’ and ‘F Israel.’ That was the depth of the sentiment, and that is the reason we gather here today to condemn those comments. Such behaviour—
A government member: Stop saying it.
Mr DUTTO N: I won’t stop saying it. I’ll take the interjection. I won’t stop saying it, because it should be condemned. The words should never have been said in the first place. Shame on you for condoning those words or suggesting that those words shouldn’t be condemned in this place. I won’t stop saying them, and the Jewish community here in Australia deserves to hear you condemn them as well. That behaviour is a stain on the Australian character and a flagrant disregard of human decency. The Australians who watched the footage of those seething mobs and their sordid behaviour did not recognise their fellow countrymen.
I joined with great pride 10,000 Australians at Dover Heights last Wednesday for a Jewish community vigil. The pain of events abroad was palpable as you looked at the audience of people of Jewish faith, people of other faiths, people of no faith, there to provide support to Australians. It was raw, the tears from young girls, from grandmothers, striking. But, most concerning, those Australians of Jewish faith were gathered, and I could see the anxiety in their eyes. I could see that they were frightened.
Australia is not without its anti-Semitic elements. Both sides of politics have fought back against it, as we have every other form of politically motivated violence. But the rally at the Sydney Opera House escalated that anti-Semitism to another level. We have to recognise that because the impact it has had on the Jewish community here in Australia will take a lot to undo. We need to understand that level of anxiety in the Jewish community at present. Jewish parents are concerned about their children wearing their Jewish school uniform in public. In our country Jewish people are apprehensive about their safety when visiting a Jewish supermarket or practising their faith at a synagogue, not because of something they’ve done or said but because of who they are, because of their faith, because of their heritage, because of their belief. That’s the reason they are worried about their children being targeted in indiscriminate attacks, that they might be identified by their school uniform that they wear. That is the sentiment running deep within the Jewish community here in our country today.
The purpose of this statement on this motion before the House is to recognise those dreadful attacks and the impact they’re having psychologically on people in our country. Our wonderful Jewish community needs to know that their security is being taken seriously, both at a federal level and at state levels. I support in the strongest possible terms the Prime Minister’s announcement during the course of his remarks today of funding to provide support, particularly to the Jewish community, to bolster security, to make sure that those children can go to school safely and that people in places of gathering can do so with safety first and foremost, and the sanctity of their activities is preserved.
Many Australians are passionate about the events abroad because of their past, because of their history, because of existing ties to the Middle East, and we respect every view. But we’re Australians first and foremost, and the reason for the success of Australia’s social cohesion is our social contract as Australians. Under that social contract we do not allow the problems of other parts of the world to manifest in our communities. We keep resentment and anger at bay through the self-command of our character. Many protesters in recent days have undermined our social contract. I encourage faith and multicultural leaders in Australia to call for calm and especially to condemn any abuse or acts which are an incitement to violence, and many of them, to their great credit, have done exactly that. Some leaders, though, have chosen to remain silent, instead of voicing their disapproval, and their silence is, frankly, contemptible. To any Australian who incites or chooses violence, know that you will face the full force of the law.
Let me reiterate the sentiments I made last week without any hesitation or reservation: people who are non-citizens here in our country on visas and who engaged in vile anti-Semitic behaviour, who are inciting violence or who choose violence, should have their visas cancelled and be properly deported from our country. Had those comments been made abroad, it is clear that a decision-maker within the Department of Home Affairs would not have granted a visa to come to our country in the first place. Why would there be contention about cancelling a visa of a non-citizen conducting themselves in making public commentary about anti-Semitic conduct or behaviour or inciting violence or choosing violence?
There should be no doubt about the swift course of action required, and I encourage the Minister for Home Affairs to not hesitate in exercising her powers as needed in our national interest. If we are to maintain the social cohesion for which we are known, then we must have zero tolerance of behaviours which are frankly intolerable.
With Israel undertaking military operations in Gaza in response to Hamas’s acts of terrorism, there have been and will continue to be civilian casualties, tragically, on the Palestinian side, and Hamas know that. They knew that there would be retaliation for these grotesque acts of terrorism. They knew that the Israelis would respond and they knew, through their actions, that it would result directly in the loss of the lives of people on the Gaza Strip and elsewhere. Hamas’s tactic of using civilian infrastructure as military headquarters, as storage facilities for weapons and as part of battlefield operations speaks to who they are. If we’re looking for an equivalence to Hamas, to their culture and to their conduct, we should look no further than ISIS. This parliament’s joined together over a long period of time and we’ve committed troops to parts of the world, including Afghanistan, to fight back against the depravity of ISIS, their treatment of women and young girls and the way in which they have slaughtered people without a single hesitation. Hamas is the equivalence of ISIS.
Israel, of course, is doing its utmost to forewarn civilians and minimise casualties. As the Prime Minister wisely said before, Australians who are in the region should depart if that’s appropriate for them in the circumstances. Take the offer if you’ve asked for it and it’s available to you. The situation will clearly deteriorate further. We know that there are some commentators who continue to try and find moral equivalence in the actions of the Israel Defence Forces and Hamas’s terrorism. It should be utterly condemned. Australia stood with Ukraine when it was subjected to the barbarity of an invader. Let us today, as a parliament, demonstrate that Australia stands with our longstanding ally, our dedicated partner and our dear friend Israel in the fight against terrorism and in its hour of need. Let us show the Israeli people and Jewish communities here in Australia that they have our support and our solidarity.
Seventy-five years ago, the nation of Israel was born. The Jewish people finally had a place which was theirs. The Jewish story, as we know, is one of every trial and tribulation—of privation, of enslavement, of wandering, of subjugation, persecution and exile, of dispersion, of massacre, of Holocaust, the gassing of six million people. But, most importantly, the Jewish story today is one of survival, and it always will be. It’s a story of achievement against adversity and of triumph from tragedy. It’s a story which is committed to the collective Jewish memory. It is the Jewish memory of prevailing over tragedy and that Jewish spirit we know so well in many of our friends and fellow Australians which will see Israel again succeed through these darkest of days.
I commend the government for bringing this motion to the House, and I look forward to the contributions on both sides because this is a moment for us to stand with people who have been subjected to the most abhorrent acts at the hands of a terrorist organisation. We stood in this place in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. We’ve stood in this place and we’ve condemned the terrorist attacks in France, in Germany and elsewhere, and we do that again today.