Albanese government report card
Chair of the Australia-Israel Allies Caucus, Andrew Wallace, has condemned Labor’s decision as another misstep in Labor’s systematic and hate-filled campaign against the State of Israel and the Jewish people.
Andrew Wallace
The Deputy Chair of Parliament’s powerful intelligence and security committee pointed to the Prime Minister’s weak leadership on antisemitism and the Middle East as a threat to Australia’s global standing, security, and the safety of the Jewish community.
Andrew Wallace states that in the last year alone, the Federal Labor Government has:
- Delayed a visit to Israel by a former Senior Minister, and then refused to visit the sites of the atrocities in a show of wilful blindness.
- Reinstated UNRWA funding despite an ongoing investigation into the UN agency’s complicity in the October 7 terror attacks, an investigation which inevitably proved that as many as nine UNRWA workers were involved in the murder of 1,200 and kidnapping of 251 Israeli men, women, and children.
- Called for a ceasefire and two-state solution just months after the attacks – on a Jewish high holiday.
- Voted to recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly, breaking with allies and decades of bipartisanship on the matter.
- Watched on as the trade union movement backed Hamas and the two-state solution, after a long history of trade union antisemitism.
- Chose cowardice over courage when the International Criminal Court issued warrants for Israel’s democratically elected leaders.
- Failed to hold the Australian Human Rights Commission for its antisemitism.
- Dithered and delayed instead of responding to vile antisemitism on Australian university campuses, then refused to support an urgent judicial inquiry into antisemitism on those campuses.
- Were woefully slow to act when their own Senator Fatima Payman chose solidarity with Hamas and The Greens over the Jewish people.
- Took the coward’s way out by abstaining on a UN General Assembly vote – proposed by Palestine – to demand Israel cede its territory and end its so-called occupation.
- Sided with UNRWA and its Hamas-affiliated counterparts after Israel’s elected legislature voted to revoke UNRWA’s right to operate on Israeli sovereign territory.
- Voted to affirm the sovereignty of the Palestinian people over the sovereign territory of Israel.
- Broke with Australia’s longstanding position to condemn Israel for what Palestinian activists continue to call “occupation”.
- Time and again, equivocated and hesitated to support Australia’s Jewish community and our enduring partner in the Middle East, Israel – while allowing extremists to march through our streets with impunity because of Anthony Albanese’s weak leadership.
Andrew Wallace comments: “Never, in the history of our country, has a Prime Minister and a Government proved to be so recklessly indulgent of extremists, terrorists, and their apologists, as this Labor Government has. For all their talk of social cohesion and global leadership, Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have proven to be utterly beholden to their own political ambition – shoring up marginal seats in urban centres at the expense of Australia’s international relations, our national security, and the wellbeing of Jewish Australians.”
The Labor Party has become the mouthpiece of an extreme and antisemitic protest movement, through its convenient silence and now its public statements. Our partners are watching and questioning Australia’s loyalty and dependability. Jewish families are grieving as they question whether they’re safe in this country to which they have given so much. And Australians everywhere are asking: where is the leadership, the political will, to stand up and do what is right?”
“Anthony Albanese and his careless Labor Government have allowed the pandemic of antisemitism to infect our campuses, communities and chambers of Parliament – encouraging the vilest hate to fester online and in our streets. We know the United Nations has an entrenched bias against Israel and the Jewish people; under Anthony Albanese, the Australian Labor Government is further entrenching and legitimising that bias, instead of calling it out. That is to our great shame.” Mr Wallace added.
Andrew Wallace declares: “Anthony Albanese presides over a fundamentally amoral and antisemitic government. His weak leadership threatens Australia’s reputation and future. Meanwhile,Peter Dutton and the Coalition continue to speak up, stand up, and show up for the Jewish people in the fight to combat antisemitism and to defend Israel – our enduring partner for peace and prosperity.”
