(The Age, 18/4/2024)
Love it to happen but no way this Government has the guts to hold Israel truly to account for its murderous genocide – Mark
Following the October 7 attacks in Israel, the Australian government was quick to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ acts as brutal and inhumane. Both major parties backed the Israeli government’s call to eliminate the terrorist group, and the Albanese government rightly sanctioned the terrorism of militants.
But six months into the conflict, and with the eradication of Hamas seemingly still far from being a reality, it is time for Australia to change its tune.
The killing of Zomi Frankcom and six of her co-workers took the death toll of aid workers in Gaza to more than 200. It underscores that provision of humanitarian assistance has been part of the battleground since the very start of this conflict.
In opposition, Foreign Minister Penny Wong secured amendments to ensure the Magnitsky Act covered breaches of international humanitarian law. They are the exact kind of breaches we now see Israeli officials committing on a daily basis. To be morally consistent with actions previously taken against Russia, Myanmar and Iran, and to uphold to amendments Wong herself pushed for, Australia must enforce targeted sanctions against Israel.
The evidence that the Israeli government is deliberately starving civilians in Gaza is unequivocal. At the outset of the war, Israeli ministers said they intended to deny aid to the enclave. Just 48 hours after Hamas’ attack, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed … we are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.”
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