Topics: Hamas attack on Israel;
06:15AM AEST
10 October 2023
Peter Stefanovic: Well, let’s keep that conversation going and we’ll bring in the Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Birmingham. Simon, you would have just been able to hear some of the commentary there from the IDF on where they are at from a military point of view as we speak. Do you take issue with anything that was said, or do you support everything that was said?
Simon Birmingham: Well, Pete, obviously the military tactics are ones for Israel to navigate, but Israel has been attacked. A terrible terrorist attack. Horrific acts that we have seen, crimes that are unbelievable to many of us in terms of the footage we’ve seen and the targeting of innocent women, children, elderly, as you’ve heard. Israel is entirely within its right to defend itself, to defend its right to exist, to defend its citizens, seek to ensure their security. In doing so, to remove the ability, as they have stated, of Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation, from being able to govern and being able to influence, drive and coordinate these types of terrorist activities. Any country that faced this type of terrorist attack would seek to have a comprehensive response against its attacker. Israel is entitled to do so, and in doing so, to seek to remove the ability of that attacker, in this case Hamas, as a terrorist organisation, from being able to govern and coordinate or inspire such attacks in the future.
Peter Stefanovic: Simon, closer to home, I know you’re away at the moment, but there were scenes last night at the Sydney Opera House. An Israeli flag was burned. The Palestinian supporters there ignored the Prime Minister’s call not to go. This protest was pushed by the New South Wales Greens yesterday as well. I’m just wondering what your thoughts are on all of that.
Simon Birmingham: Pete, I am in Brussels at present, so I haven’t seen all of the footage, but I have seen some of the coverage and disgusting coverage. Much of it is in terms of the scenes of people racially vilifying other Australians. There is no place for that. There is no place for the type of anti Semitism that was on display. There is no place for the type of actions that we’ve seen inspired by the Greens’ statement. Statements from the Greens leadership that seek to somehow denigrate Australia and Israel as colonial powers and in doing so seem to provide some justification for the likes of Hamas’ actions are reprehensible statements. The Greens ought to be clear in their condemnation of Hamas, in their recognition that Hamas, an Iranian backed terrorist organisation, stands against all of the types of things that the Australian Greens say they believe in terms of support for basic human rights, support for basic equalities, support for diverse populations. You would much rather be a gay person, an LGBTIQ+ Australian, all living in Israel than you would living in Iran or living under a Hamas type regime. So, the idea that they are trying to invoke the type of division in Australia is something they should cease and desist from. They ought to be clear in their condemnation of Israel and their support for the removal of Hamas from a position of any influence of any ability to inspire these types of terrorist acts. They ought to be encouraging Australians to come together in terms of standing against the type of reprehensible terrorism we have seen.
Peter Stefanovic: Okay. Simon Birmingham, we’re out of time, unfortunately, but thank you so much for joining us. We’ll talk to you again soon.
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