STATEMENT 23 July 2025
As Chair of the Australia-Israel Allies Caucus, I condemn the Albanese Government’s decision to co-sign a misguided statement that effectively provides cover to Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia and many of our allies. We must never forget that it was Hamas that was responsible for the single deadliest attack on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust.
Let’s be clear. The scenes coming out of Hamas are heartbreaking. The humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Gaza tears at the fabric of what a civilised society holds dear.
Notwithstanding this, the joint letter, supported by Minister Wong and now defended by Tony Burke, ignores the simple truth. This war was started by Hamas on October 7, 2023, when they butchered over 1,200 innocent people and took more than 250 hostages, approximately 59 of whom are still being held in underground tunnels to this day.
Israel has a right to defend its people as it seeks to recover the hostages and defeat the threat posed by Hamas terrorists. According to the IDF, Hamas have launched over 20,000 rockets into Israel from Gaza since October 7, 2023. The threat posed by Hamas is ongoing. It is Hamas that hides behind Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools. Hamas steals humanitarian aid and openly vows to destroy the Jewish State.
The greatest barrier to humanitarian relief reaching civilians in Gaza is not Israel, it’s Hamas. Reporting has confirmed that Hamas has systematically hijacked aid deliveries, looted humanitarian convoys, and diverted essential food and medical supplies for its own purposes. This terrorist regime has weaponised aid, using it to bolster its military infrastructure while civilians suffer. Just last month, Israeli authorities confirmed Hamas had stolen shipments of food in northern Gaza, forcing a halt in aid until proper safeguards were restored. These are not the actions of a group seeking peace, they are the tactics of a terrorist organisation prolonging conflict at the expense of its own people.
By calling for an unconditional ceasefire without recognising the threat posed by Hamas or calling for its unconditional surrender, the Labor Government is sending a dangerous message, not just to Israel, but to every liberal democracy that faces terrorism. It emboldens Hamas, undermines peace, and betrays the very values we claim to uphold.
I stand with the US Ambassador to Israel, the Israeli people, and Australia’s Jewish community in rejecting this statement and calling it for what it is: morally indefensible. There is a ceasefire deal on the table, brokered by the United States, acceptedby Israel but rejected by Hamas. The signatories to the letter released yesterday should be heaping pressure upon Hamas to accept the terms of the ceasefire, not emboldening them.
Labor must answer a simple question. Does it stand with a democratic ally, or with the perpetrators of terror?
The Coalition’s position is clear: we support Israel’s right to defend itself; we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas. This war could end today, if the Hamas terrorists lay down their weapons and release the hostages. The images emerging from Gaza are horrific for anyone to witness, let alone experience, but we stand firm in supporting Israel’s right to dismantle a terrorist regime that started this war and continues to prolong it. We will never legitimise terrorism in any form.
Now more than ever, Australia must stand firm in the face of hate, extremism and antisemitism.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West
M | 0402 556 646
E|Brendan.west@aph.gov.au
LABOR SIDES WITH TERRORISTS IN DISGRACEFUL ATTACK ON ISRAEL
STATEMENT 23 July 2025
As Chair of the Australia-Israel Allies Caucus, I condemn the Albanese Government’s decision to co-sign a misguided statement that effectively provides cover to Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation in Australia and many of our allies. We must never forget that it was Hamas that was responsible for the single deadliest attack on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust.
Let’s be clear. The scenes coming out of Hamas are heartbreaking. The humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in Gaza tears at the fabric of what a civilised society holds dear.
Notwithstanding this, the joint letter, supported by Minister Wong and now defended by Tony Burke, ignores the simple truth. This war was started by Hamas on October 7, 2023, when they butchered over 1,200 innocent people and took more than 250 hostages, approximately 59 of whom are still being held in underground tunnels to this day.
Israel has a right to defend its people as it seeks to recover the hostages and defeat the threat posed by Hamas terrorists. According to the IDF, Hamas have launched over 20,000 rockets into Israel from Gaza since October 7, 2023. The threat posed by Hamas is ongoing. It is Hamas that hides behind Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools. Hamas steals humanitarian aid and openly vows to destroy the Jewish State.
The greatest barrier to humanitarian relief reaching civilians in Gaza is not Israel, it’s Hamas. Reporting has confirmed that Hamas has systematically hijacked aid deliveries, looted humanitarian convoys, and diverted essential food and medical supplies for its own purposes. This terrorist regime has weaponised aid, using it to bolster its military infrastructure while civilians suffer. Just last month, Israeli authorities confirmed Hamas had stolen shipments of food in northern Gaza, forcing a halt in aid until proper safeguards were restored. These are not the actions of a group seeking peace, they are the tactics of a terrorist organisation prolonging conflict at the expense of its own people.
By calling for an unconditional ceasefire without recognising the threat posed by Hamas or calling for its unconditional surrender, the Labor Government is sending a dangerous message, not just to Israel, but to every liberal democracy that faces terrorism. It emboldens Hamas, undermines peace, and betrays the very values we claim to uphold.
I stand with the US Ambassador to Israel, the Israeli people, and Australia’s Jewish community in rejecting this statement and calling it for what it is: morally indefensible. There is a ceasefire deal on the table, brokered by the United States, acceptedby Israel but rejected by Hamas. The signatories to the letter released yesterday should be heaping pressure upon Hamas to accept the terms of the ceasefire, not emboldening them.
Labor must answer a simple question. Does it stand with a democratic ally, or with the perpetrators of terror?
The Coalition’s position is clear: we support Israel’s right to defend itself; we demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas. This war could end today, if the Hamas terrorists lay down their weapons and release the hostages. The images emerging from Gaza are horrific for anyone to witness, let alone experience, but we stand firm in supporting Israel’s right to dismantle a terrorist regime that started this war and continues to prolong it. We will never legitimise terrorism in any form.
Now more than ever, Australia must stand firm in the face of hate, extremism and antisemitism.
[ENDS]
Media Contact: Brendan West
M | 0402 556 646
E|Brendan.west@aph.gov.au