Coalition, Jewish leaders and international allies question Labor's decision to sanction two Israeli cabinet ministers
Domestic Jewish leaders, the federal opposition and key international allies have all questioned Foreign Minister Penny Wong's decision to impose the sanctions.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich were sanctioned over claims they had incited extremist violence.
These sanctions mean all their assets in Australia must be frozen, they must not enter Australia and making assets available to them would be an offence.
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) has condemned the sanctions, accusing Labor of targeting Israeli leaders while ignoring Palestinian violence.
'The AJA is appalled by reports that the Albanese Government is imposing sanctions on ministers of the Israeli government,' CEO Robert Gregory said.
'This action represents a hostile and unjustified attack on a democratic ally and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
'Under the Albanese government, Australia's longstanding bipartisan relationship with Israel has been severely damaged.'
Mr Gregory warned the government's actions have 'emboldened Islamic extremists' and had 'contributed to a rise in antisemitism at home'.
Teal MP Allegra Spender told Sky News there will be 'a lot of concern' in her community, given that she represents an electorate with many Jewish residents.
'I've sought a briefing from the foreign minister in relation to (the sanctions) in terms of … what is the justification for this,' she said.
Coalition frontbencher Dan Tehan also questioned the government's decision, warning of diplomatic consequences and demanding a briefing.
'This is a very serious move to sanction two ministers from a democratically elected government,' Mr Tehan told ABC Radio National on Wednesday.
'And what we want is a briefing… We also would like to know how it's going to help the peace process.'
Mr Tehan said that the government needed to explain why this was a good decision when the US 'has said it's likely to be unhelpful'.
US Senator Marco Rubio called on the Albanese government to reverse the sanctions on Wednesday.
'"The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia,' he said.
'These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.'
In Israel, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the sanctions as 'outrageous' and said they would undermine peace efforts.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong defended the move at a press conference on Tuesday, saying the ministers had committed 'serious human rights violations'.
She said the decision was made in coordination with like-minded partners and was aimed at 'advancing peace and the cause of a two-state solution'.
Asked by Sky News whether Australia would consider sanctioning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ms Wong did not rule it out.
'We don't speculate about the approach,' she said, adding that the two ministers were 'not the only members of the Israeli government whose actions have been problematic'.
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The Age
27 minutes ago
- The Age
Albo's true believers are running out of patience
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. LABOR Sean Kelly highlights the different expectations of a second-term government: it will be judged by how it tackles the real problems we face, not just by whether it delivers on its pre-election commitments, as with its first term (' 100 days in, how does PM measure up? Voters are harder judges second time around ', 11/8). Anthony Albanese seems open to planning big changes, but wants those changes endorsed by the electorate before they are implemented. All well and good, providing the government plans major reforms that it can therefore take, well-prepared, to the next election. Effective action on reducing carbon emissions is one major policy change that is needed. Our real carbon emissions are changing little, with our claims to reductions being largely bedded in land use and forestry, which are estimates based on temporary changes that can be reversed at any time, and on hopes for carbon capture and storage, where emissions are not reduced, just hidden in deep holes. The battle against climate change is at a critical point. We need genuine, substantial emissions reductions. If this government requires a popular mandate to make the changes necessary, it must get to work on plans now, set an ambitious 2035 target – and be ready to call an early election. Chris Young, Surrey Hills Party division Sean Kelly's analysis of Labor's first 100 days and the main challenges faced by the Albanese government fails to mention the unease within the party over major policy settings, particularly in foreign policy and the environment. Last weekend, the Victorian ALP branch voted to support demands for a parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS, to suspend participation in AUKUS and to remove AUKUS from the ALP national platform. This puts the Victorian branch of the ALP at odds with federal Labor and raises the prospect of internal division not seen in recent years. Members have also expressed dissatisfaction with Environment Minister Murray Watt's approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas extension and the failure to include a climate trigger in new environmental laws. The next national ALP conference will be held in 2026 and promises to be a tussle between the Left faction opposing AUKUS and supporting stronger action on the environment and the ruling Centre Right faction that supports AUKUS and still wants to cash in on Australia's fossil fuel reserves. Graeme Lechte, Pascoe Vale Show some guts As a rusted-on Labor voter I am becoming increasingly disappointed. I speak to many people at clubs I attend and the feeling coming from them is the same. It's a message that members want Albanese to have some 'old-fashioned guts' – he has a mandate and should use it for society's benefit. To fix the tax system and stop being scared he might lose a few votes. It may even win over some Liberal voters I speak to. He should speak up about Palestine – he will never please everyone, but a lot of people have put faith in him and Labor to create a more just and fair community and to speak up in the world. Trust me, he will be disappointed at the next election if he loses us rusted-on Labor voters who had put faith in him. A lot of us want to see some old-fashioned guts. For Albanese to raise his voice and tell the community in no small terms he is not afraid to take the plunge and create a more fair and just society. That is what we want from a Labor government. Nola Cormick, Albert Park Rare opportunity beckons I believe Anthony Albanese has a very good knowledge of the history of Australian Labor governments, so his timidity about the prospect of significant policy reform is disappointing. Labor MPs need to study the barriers that the Whitlam government faced in its short term in power. The Hawke-Keating governments struck it lucky and were able to implement change based on the charisma and popularity of Bob Hawke. The Albanese government has a massive majority and must step forward and embrace critical change, as the window of opportunity to reform is likely to only be open once or twice in a century. And one such time is now. David Fry, Moonee Ponds THE FORUM Selling over reserve As someone who has just been involved in a house sale where the price at auction went way beyond our reserve price, we need to acknowledge that buying property is always going to leave a number of participants disappointed (' Real estate agents to back underquoting crackdown '; 'Rank estate agents according to sale price accuracy', Letters, 11/8). And the advertised price range is a guide but inevitably is immensely variable. The successful buyers in our sale had not attended an open for inspection. We, as vendors, are obviously glad they came to the auction and wanted our property so badly that they purchased at a price in excess of what we'd believed was a realistic expectation. Our assessment made just prior to the auction was based on other recent sales locally. But on the day it turned out there were more competing prospective buyers than those who'd made pre-sale offers or estimates. Who's to blame for the tough real estate situation? Certainly not the hardworking, professional real estate agents involved in our sale. We rely on a market to exchange properties and some people have more resources than others. Philippa Harrison, Somers Do your research After over 40 years in real estate, I have never seen so much coverage of what should be a legitimate and transparent way of selling real estate. We can thank government interference for this. An auction is supposed to be just that, no matter whether it's a car, a painting or a house. It's up to the buyer to conduct their own due diligence and inspect properties that are for sale, and check the results in the areas they are looking. These are published every weekend. An informed opinion can be formed as to a ball-park range for the sale price. Many people have been doing this, including myself out of interest for years, and on one occasion, my estimate was bang on the sale price. Other times I'm usually within 5 per cent. It takes time but it works. Abolish the quoting system and get rid of the statement of information, it is irrelevant and there is no comparison of 'apples with apples'. If on auction day, no one bids, ditch the vendor bid, convert to private sale immediately. Ian Anderson, Surrey Hills
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
The 11 days that made Albanese and Labor change their path on Palestinian recognition
Two weeks ago, on a Sunday morning television appearance, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was unequivocal: there was no move afoot for the Australian government to follow France and promise to recognise a Palestinian state in September. 'Are we about to imminently do that?' he said on the ABC's Insiders. 'No, we are not.' Even as the United Kingdom and Canada outlined their plans for recognition over subsequent days, Albanese held his line, saying he did not want to make a token gesture. He was not satisfied that the conditions for a functional Palestinian state – free elections, and no role for Hamas – had been met. Albanese made this argument for the cameras, and also in private, telling confidantes he did not want to move quickly nor appear swayed by external pressure. As elements of Labor's caucus and rank-and-file members tried to increase pressure on the government, Albanese was assuring Jewish groups in parliament that recognition was not imminent. But 11 days later, Albanese was on a 40-minute phone call, warning an increasingly isolated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Australia would soon recognise a Palestinian state. On Monday, the Albanese government broke with the United States and made the historic announcement that Australia would recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next month. 'We can't keep waiting for the end of a peace process that has ground to a halt,' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. 'We have made clear we would recognise Palestine when it would best contribute momentum to peace. September is that time: when the world says this has gone on far too long; when the world says the heartbreak, death and destruction must end.' Australia has long given bipartisan support to a two-state solution in the Middle East. The Labor Party's platform specifically supports the recognition of Palestine. Still, there were conditions the government wanted met before taking such a leap. And not much had changed, on paper, during the two weeks Australia resisted recognition. Questions that Albanese raised on Insiders – 'How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?' – are scarcely closer to being answered today than they were on July 27. Critics of Albanese's decision, including Jewish Australian groups and Israel, made that point on Monday afternoon. 'Only days ago, Prime Minister Albanese set clear conditions for recognising a Palestinian state, renouncing violence, freeing hostages, and establishing credible, accountable governance,' Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said in a statement. 'He [Albanese] emphasised that these steps were necessary before recognition could occur. Today, however, the Australian government has abandoned those conditions.' But once the United Kingdom and Canada had made their moves, there was an inevitability to Australia's next steps. 'We didn't want to be leading the pack, but we didn't want to be too slow, either,' said a senior government source. 'We were probably moving in this direction, but the momentum globally meant there was a wave we could ride,' said another. Images of hunger in Gaza create global mood for change Wong started laying the groundwork for this week's announcement in April last year. Conventional thinking suggested Palestinian statehood should come only at the end of a peace process with Israel. But as Israeli settlements expanded in the West Bank, Wong argued that recognising Palestine could be a step towards a two-state solution. Loading Then, last month, demands for stronger government action built as global attention focused on striking images of starvation coming out of Gaza. Photographs of children spurred public outrage and sentiment that the war needed a circuit-breaker. Anger was also building in Labor's base. By the end of July, almost 80 local branches had passed motions demanding that Australia impose sanctions on Israel. Then French President Emmanuel Macron made his move. As ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas broke down, he tried to generate momentum for a two-state solution. On July 25, Macron announced France would become the first G7 nation – a grouping which includes the United States, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada – to recognise Palestinian statehood. He would do so at a UN meeting in September. Without pause, prominent Labor supporters of Palestine called on Albanese to follow suit. Former foreign minister Bob Carr called for Albanese to 'follow France and recognise Palestine in line with Labor policy and the near unanimous opinion of ALP rank-and-file and voter base.' Albanese, on Insiders, lamented the images coming out of Gaza. A photograph of an emaciated one-year-old boy 'just breaks your heart', he said. But he hosed down expectations that Australia was about to follow France. 'We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met,' Albanese said on July 27. Senior Labor sources who spoke to this masthead that weekend said Albanese had not ruled out recognising Palestine by the end of the year. However, he wanted to move alongside other like-minded nations, including Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Albanese resists calls as momentum builds Those nations moved faster than expected. On July 30, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, under intense pressure from his MPs, declared it was 'the moment to act' as he outlined plans for recognition. It prompted Labor backbencher Ed Husic, the party's most vocal MP on Palestine, to make another plea. 'Moral momentum cannot be ignored … and it requires of us a reconsideration of our approach,' Husic said. But Albanese, meeting with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, assured them no move on recognition was imminent. Still, Australia took another step. It signed a letter with 14 other countries saying it was considering Palestinian statehood as a step towards a two-state solution. That same day, a United Nations working group that included the Arab League released a plan to end the war that did not involve Hamas. Australian officials took note. It was the first time Arab nations had demanded Hamas end its rule in Gaza and surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority that governs parts of the West Bank. Albanese spoke with Starmer on the phone that night. Then, the following morning, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney became the next player to move. Behind closed doors, the Albanese government was butting heads with Israel's representatives. Speaking to his caucus, Albanese slammed remarks from Israel's deputy ambassador, who had told Australian journalists in a briefing that claims of starvation amounted to Hamas propaganda and relied on 'false pictures'. (The New York Times later confirmed that the one-year-old that Albanese referred to had pre-existing medical conditions, but the World Health Organisation has said malnutrition is at 'alarming' levels in Gaza). On Thursday, Wong held talks with Maimon in her Canberra office and rebuked Israel's behaviour. It was the second time in three days that Israel's ambassador had been spoken to by the government after a lower-level meeting with departmental officials on Tuesday. Labor MP Jerome Laxale said frustration at the Netanyahu government had contributed to the government's decision-making. 'Australia has been part of a global push to ensure that Israel complies with its international law obligations … and I think there has been a frustration, culminating in our announcement today,' he told Sky News on Monday. Laxale, a member of Labor's left faction, also emphasised the scale of voters' concern. 'This has been issue No.1, two and three in my inbox from constituents,' he said. That public sentiment was brought into focus on August 3, when thousands of Australians delivered their own message to the Albanese government. More than 100,000 people marched over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and protested in Melbourne. Loading But while the protests were a sign of building public sentiment, they also affected the political calculation as the Albanese government mulled its timing. Government sources said they did not want to look like they were responding to a single demonstration. The protests also brought into focus another dynamic – discipline within Albanese's caucus. While 12 of NSW Premier Chris Minns' MPs marched, only three federal Labor MPs attended: Husic, Cunningham MP Alison Byrnes and Senator Tony Sheldon. According to sources in the federal caucus, a growing number of MPs had been making representations on Palestinian statehood to the prime minister and foreign minister's office in recent months. But at no point did the feeling in caucus reach boiling point. Most MPs trusted the leadership of the government to move in the right direction over time, although some became frustrated at what they deemed was an over-reliance on written statements which used incrementally stronger wording. In the days after last weekend's protest, Wong and Albanese continued to lay the groundwork for a shift in Australia's position. As Israeli media outlets had reported that Netanyahu planned to order the full military occupation of Gaza in a last-ditch effort to force Hamas to surrender, Wong's language became increasingly urgent. 'We cannot stand by with what is happening in Gaza and not add momentum towards two states,' she told the ABC's 7.30 on Monday night. 'There is a risk there will be no Palestine left to recognise if the international community [doesn't] move to create that pathway to a two-state solution,' she told ABC radio on Tuesday. Sources familiar with Australia's conversations with international counterparts said Wong and Albanese were collaborating on 'advanced' thinking on reconstruction of Gaza, including a potential role for Australia in helping foster a functioning state with bureaucrats and health services. Loading The Friday before the Harbour Bridge protest, Albanese discussed Palestine with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Tuesday afterwards, on August 5, he had a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. On the call, Albanese sought assurances Abbas would pursue peace, and they committed to meet in New York. On Thursday, August 7, Albanese outlined his thinking to Netanyahu. 'The arguments that he put to me were very similar to the arguments that he put more than a year ago,' Albanese said, in his description of the call. 'I put the argument to him that we need a political solution, not a military one, because a military response alone has seen the devastation in Gaza.' So much about that political solution remains uncertain. But Wong did not entertain the prospect of the peace process falling apart. 'Our expectation is the international community will work with all parties to ensure not only that those commitments are adhered to, but there is progress towards two states,' she said. 'There is no sustained peace unless we see a two-state solution. I think we all know that.'
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Palestine recognition: The 11 days that made Albanese and Labor change their path
, register or subscribe to save articles for later. Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Two weeks ago, on a Sunday morning television appearance, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was unequivocal: there was no move afoot for the Australian government to follow France and promise to recognise a Palestinian state in September. 'Are we about to imminently do that?' he said on the ABC's Insiders . 'No, we are not.' Even as the United Kingdom and Canada outlined their plans for recognition over subsequent days, Albanese held his line, saying he did not want to make a token gesture. He was not satisfied that the conditions for a functional Palestinian state – free elections, and no role for Hamas – had been met. Albanese made this argument for the cameras, and also in private, telling confidantes he did not want to move quickly nor appear swayed by external pressure. As elements of Labor's caucus and rank-and-file members tried to increase pressure on the government, Albanese was assuring Jewish groups in parliament that recognition was not imminent. But 11 days later, Albanese was on a 40-minute phone call, warning an increasingly isolated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Australia would soon recognise a Palestinian state. On Monday, the Albanese government broke with the United States and made the historic announcement that Australia would recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next month. 'We can't keep waiting for the end of a peace process that has ground to a halt,' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. 'We have made clear we would recognise Palestine when it would best contribute momentum to peace. September is that time: when the world says this has gone on far too long; when the world says the heartbreak, death and destruction must end.' Australia has long given bipartisan support to a two-state solution in the Middle East. The Labor Party's platform specifically supports the recognition of Palestine. Still, there were conditions the government wanted met before taking such a leap. And not much had changed, on paper, during the two weeks Australia resisted recognition. Questions that Albanese raised on Insiders – 'How do you exclude Hamas from any involvement there? How do you ensure that a Palestinian state operates in an appropriate way which does not threaten the existence of Israel?' – are scarcely closer to being answered today than they were on July 27. Critics of Albanese's decision, including Jewish Australian groups and Israel, made that point on Monday afternoon. 'Only days ago, Prime Minister Albanese set clear conditions for recognising a Palestinian state, renouncing violence, freeing hostages, and establishing credible, accountable governance,' Israel's ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said in a statement. 'He [Albanese] emphasised that these steps were necessary before recognition could occur. Today, however, the Australian government has abandoned those conditions.' But once the United Kingdom and Canada had made their moves, there was an inevitability to Australia's next steps. 'We didn't want to be leading the pack, but we didn't want to be too slow, either,' said a senior government source. 'We were probably moving in this direction, but the momentum globally meant there was a wave we could ride,' said another. Wong started laying the groundwork for this week's announcement in April last year. Conventional thinking suggested Palestinian statehood should come only at the end of a peace process with Israel. But as Israeli settlements expanded in the West Bank, Wong argued that recognising Palestine could be a step towards a two-state solution. Loading Then, last month, demands for stronger government action built as global attention focused on striking images of starvation coming out of Gaza. Photographs of children spurred public outrage and sentiment that the war needed a circuit-breaker. Anger was also building in Labor's base. By the end of July, almost 80 local branches had passed motions demanding that Australia impose sanctions on Israel. Then French President Emmanuel Macron made his move. As ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas broke down, he tried to generate momentum for a two-state solution. On July 25, Macron announced France would become the first G7 nation – a grouping which includes the United States, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada – to recognise Palestinian statehood. He would do so at a UN meeting in September. Without pause, prominent Labor supporters of Palestine called on Albanese to follow suit. Former foreign minister Bob Carr called for Albanese to 'follow France and recognise Palestine in line with Labor policy and the near unanimous opinion of ALP rank-and-file and voter base.' Albanese, on Insiders , lamented the images coming out of Gaza. A photograph of an emaciated one-year-old boy 'just breaks your heart', he said. But he hosed down expectations that Australia was about to follow France. 'We won't do any decision as a gesture. We will do it as a way forward if the circumstances are met,' Albanese said on July 27. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong announce Australia's plan to recognise a Palestinian state. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Senior Labor sources who spoke to this masthead that weekend said Albanese had not ruled out recognising Palestine by the end of the year. However, he wanted to move alongside other like-minded nations, including Britain, Canada and New Zealand. Albanese resists calls as momentum builds Those nations moved faster than expected. On July 30, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, under intense pressure from his MPs, declared it was 'the moment to act' as he outlined plans for recognition. It prompted Labor backbencher Ed Husic, the party's most vocal MP on Palestine, to make another plea. 'Moral momentum cannot be ignored … and it requires of us a reconsideration of our approach,' Husic said. But Albanese, meeting with the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, assured them no move on recognition was imminent. Still, Australia took another step. It signed a letter with 14 other countries saying it was considering Palestinian statehood as a step towards a two-state solution. That same day, a United Nations working group that included the Arab League released a plan to end the war that did not involve Hamas. Australian officials took note. It was the first time Arab nations had demanded Hamas end its rule in Gaza and surrender its weapons to the Palestinian Authority that governs parts of the West Bank. Albanese spoke with Starmer on the phone that night. Then, the following morning, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney became the next player to move. Behind closed doors, the Albanese government was butting heads with Israel's representatives. Speaking to his caucus, Albanese slammed remarks from Israel's deputy ambassador, who had told Australian journalists in a briefing that claims of starvation amounted to Hamas propaganda and relied on 'false pictures'. ( The New York Times later confirmed that the one-year-old that Albanese referred to had pre-existing medical conditions, but the World Health Organisation has said malnutrition is at 'alarming' levels in Gaza). On Thursday, Wong held talks with Maimon in her Canberra office and rebuked Israel's behaviour. It was the second time in three days that Israel's ambassador had been spoken to by the government after a lower-level meeting with departmental officials on Tuesday. Labor MP Jerome Laxale said frustration at the Netanyahu government had contributed to the government's decision-making. 'Australia has been part of a global push to ensure that Israel complies with its international law obligations … and I think there has been a frustration, culminating in our announcement today,' he told Sky News on Monday. Laxale, a member of Labor's left faction, also emphasised the scale of voters' concern. 'This has been issue No.1, two and three in my inbox from constituents,' he said.
