King Charles leads Britain's VE Day celebrations
King Charles and heir to the throne Prince William have laid wreaths in Westminster Abbey at the culmination of Britain's four days of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The thanksgiving service in the Abbey began with a two-minute silence, which was also observed across the country, to remember Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, which took effect on May 8, 1945.
Charles and William, military medals pinned on their chest and standing beside elderly veterans in wheelchairs, laid wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, in a show of respect for those who gave their lives in World War II.
The anniversary, which comes at a time of ongoing conflict in Europe with Russia's war in Ukraine, was also marked with events in France and Germany, while Moscow will hold a major military parade on Friday.
Speaking at a defence conference in London on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the day a celebration of defiance, sacrifice and courage.
"A victory not just for Britain but for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil," he said.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the "sacred" victory over Adolf Hitler, and said his country was standing against "neo-Nazism", a characterisation of the conflict in Ukraine that is strongly rejected by Kyiv.
Putin was holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is joining Russia's celebrations.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to lay a wreath at the statue of French wartime hero Charles de Gaulle in Paris and inspect a troop parade at the Arc de Triomphe.
Dozens of World War II-era vehicles will also parade down the Champs-Elysees avenue.
In Berlin, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will address the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, during a special remembrance session.
VE Day's 80th anniversary will be one of the last major celebrations with living veterans attending events, as most are now in their 90s or older.
British veterans were among the congregation at Westminster Abbey in London.
They will be greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla after the service, before senior royals also lay flowers at a memorial nearby.
Veterans also attended a grand military parade and flypast close to Buckingham Palace on Monday, one of a series of anniversary events, in what has been a busy few days for Charles.
The monarch, 76, was last year diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and is still undergoing treatment.
Later on Thursday, there will be a concert at Horse Guards Parade for 10,000 people.
Charles and Camilla will be in the audience to hear music and the stories of veterans.
King Charles and heir to the throne Prince William have laid wreaths in Westminster Abbey at the culmination of Britain's four days of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The thanksgiving service in the Abbey began with a two-minute silence, which was also observed across the country, to remember Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, which took effect on May 8, 1945.
Charles and William, military medals pinned on their chest and standing beside elderly veterans in wheelchairs, laid wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, in a show of respect for those who gave their lives in World War II.
The anniversary, which comes at a time of ongoing conflict in Europe with Russia's war in Ukraine, was also marked with events in France and Germany, while Moscow will hold a major military parade on Friday.
Speaking at a defence conference in London on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the day a celebration of defiance, sacrifice and courage.
"A victory not just for Britain but for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil," he said.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the "sacred" victory over Adolf Hitler, and said his country was standing against "neo-Nazism", a characterisation of the conflict in Ukraine that is strongly rejected by Kyiv.
Putin was holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is joining Russia's celebrations.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to lay a wreath at the statue of French wartime hero Charles de Gaulle in Paris and inspect a troop parade at the Arc de Triomphe.
Dozens of World War II-era vehicles will also parade down the Champs-Elysees avenue.
In Berlin, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will address the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, during a special remembrance session.
VE Day's 80th anniversary will be one of the last major celebrations with living veterans attending events, as most are now in their 90s or older.
British veterans were among the congregation at Westminster Abbey in London.
They will be greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla after the service, before senior royals also lay flowers at a memorial nearby.
Veterans also attended a grand military parade and flypast close to Buckingham Palace on Monday, one of a series of anniversary events, in what has been a busy few days for Charles.
The monarch, 76, was last year diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and is still undergoing treatment.
Later on Thursday, there will be a concert at Horse Guards Parade for 10,000 people.
Charles and Camilla will be in the audience to hear music and the stories of veterans.
King Charles and heir to the throne Prince William have laid wreaths in Westminster Abbey at the culmination of Britain's four days of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The thanksgiving service in the Abbey began with a two-minute silence, which was also observed across the country, to remember Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, which took effect on May 8, 1945.
Charles and William, military medals pinned on their chest and standing beside elderly veterans in wheelchairs, laid wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, in a show of respect for those who gave their lives in World War II.
The anniversary, which comes at a time of ongoing conflict in Europe with Russia's war in Ukraine, was also marked with events in France and Germany, while Moscow will hold a major military parade on Friday.
Speaking at a defence conference in London on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the day a celebration of defiance, sacrifice and courage.
"A victory not just for Britain but for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil," he said.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the "sacred" victory over Adolf Hitler, and said his country was standing against "neo-Nazism", a characterisation of the conflict in Ukraine that is strongly rejected by Kyiv.
Putin was holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is joining Russia's celebrations.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to lay a wreath at the statue of French wartime hero Charles de Gaulle in Paris and inspect a troop parade at the Arc de Triomphe.
Dozens of World War II-era vehicles will also parade down the Champs-Elysees avenue.
In Berlin, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will address the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, during a special remembrance session.
VE Day's 80th anniversary will be one of the last major celebrations with living veterans attending events, as most are now in their 90s or older.
British veterans were among the congregation at Westminster Abbey in London.
They will be greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla after the service, before senior royals also lay flowers at a memorial nearby.
Veterans also attended a grand military parade and flypast close to Buckingham Palace on Monday, one of a series of anniversary events, in what has been a busy few days for Charles.
The monarch, 76, was last year diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and is still undergoing treatment.
Later on Thursday, there will be a concert at Horse Guards Parade for 10,000 people.
Charles and Camilla will be in the audience to hear music and the stories of veterans.
King Charles and heir to the throne Prince William have laid wreaths in Westminster Abbey at the culmination of Britain's four days of commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.
The thanksgiving service in the Abbey began with a two-minute silence, which was also observed across the country, to remember Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, which took effect on May 8, 1945.
Charles and William, military medals pinned on their chest and standing beside elderly veterans in wheelchairs, laid wreaths at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior, in a show of respect for those who gave their lives in World War II.
The anniversary, which comes at a time of ongoing conflict in Europe with Russia's war in Ukraine, was also marked with events in France and Germany, while Moscow will hold a major military parade on Friday.
Speaking at a defence conference in London on Thursday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the day a celebration of defiance, sacrifice and courage.
"A victory not just for Britain but for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil," he said.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of the "sacred" victory over Adolf Hitler, and said his country was standing against "neo-Nazism", a characterisation of the conflict in Ukraine that is strongly rejected by Kyiv.
Putin was holding talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is joining Russia's celebrations.
French President Emmanuel Macron was due to lay a wreath at the statue of French wartime hero Charles de Gaulle in Paris and inspect a troop parade at the Arc de Triomphe.
Dozens of World War II-era vehicles will also parade down the Champs-Elysees avenue.
In Berlin, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will address the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament, during a special remembrance session.
VE Day's 80th anniversary will be one of the last major celebrations with living veterans attending events, as most are now in their 90s or older.
British veterans were among the congregation at Westminster Abbey in London.
They will be greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla after the service, before senior royals also lay flowers at a memorial nearby.
Veterans also attended a grand military parade and flypast close to Buckingham Palace on Monday, one of a series of anniversary events, in what has been a busy few days for Charles.
The monarch, 76, was last year diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer and is still undergoing treatment.
Later on Thursday, there will be a concert at Horse Guards Parade for 10,000 people.
Charles and Camilla will be in the audience to hear music and the stories of veterans.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
6 hours ago
- The Age
Let's consciously uncouple from unreliable America
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. AUKUS The AUKUS review is no surprise. We should review it too. AUKUS was a Scott Morrison thought bubble which resulted in a cost of $3.35billion to cancel the French submarines deal. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese kept the AUKUS strategy, so the Coalition could not brand Labor as being soft on defence. The cancelled deal impacted our relationship with France whose presence in the South Pacific make it an obvious partner for Australia. The cost of AUKUS and the problems of nuclear waste, for which we have no infrastructure, were not considered. Since this decision, we have found the US under Trump is not a reliable ally. War in the 21st century has dramatically changed. The Ukrainians who have virtually no navy have destroyed a third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. The economics of war has changed. Cheap drones can destroy multi-million dollar aircraft ships and tanks. It's time to get out of AUKUS and plan for a 21st century war instead. Peter Ramadge, Newport Time for Australia to finally grow up AUKUS: Absurdly Useless Kingsize Unrealisable Scheme. A more than 20 year gap before the highly questionable submarines could potentially arrive, with all their attendant risks, should alone alarm us. The change in military technology in that time is unimaginable. Submarines, nuclear or otherwise, could be obsolete by then. There is no plan B, and we will continue to pour huge amounts of money into a deal that America does not have to honour. The US, Trump or no Trump, is not interested in our welfare any more, if indeed it ever was. It's high time for Australia to finally grow up, especially in the current world's hostile environment. After looking to Britain last century and then to America since the second world war, we have never seized our own sovereignty. It's time to stop focusing on the US whether in our defence policy or in any other global matter, especially now as we watch it implode. Listening to our 'in denial' politicians, Richard Marles in particular, invites despair. Jill Toulantas, Clifton Hill Why didn't ALP review AUKUS? If, as Defence Minister Richard Marles says, it is normal for a new administration to review a big program such as AUKUS, why didn't he do that in 2022 when the ALP came into government? Denny Meadows, Hawthorn Trump is a symptom of America's decline Emma Shortis (Opinion, ″ For Trump, LA is just the beginning. Soon, he'll monitor every move Americans make ″, 11/6) joins a growing group of observers calling for a rethink of our relationship with the US. Breaking up is hard to do, and most former partners accept that there are no cost-free breakups, but it is still possible to maintain a reasonable relationship. Of course there would be costs in reducing our traditional, but hazardous independence on America for security. However, any competent risk analyst would surely find that they were modest compared with our present course. AUKUS submarines, expansion of Tindal airbase for strategic US bombers and upgrade of HMAS Stirling to host US nuclear submarines, for example, subordinate Australia to US foreign policy goals. A major goal is to contain China, our major trading partner, that has currently almost no incentive to attack Australia. If our experiences in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan have not demonstrated that today's US is not the country of the 1940s, then Donald Trump's reelection should. He is a symptom of US decline, not a cause—and damning evidence that warnings from leaders such as Malcolm Fraser of an uncritical US alliance were prescient. Norman Huon, Port Melbourne Aukus savings Perhaps Donald Trump might do us all a favour and kill the AUKUS agreement. It would free the government to invest in more conventional submarines for defending our coastline. Any savings could be used to mass produce and deploy missiles and drones. The Ukrainian war demonstrates how effective drones can be as a weapon of war. The government could also use any savings from the AUKUS cancellation to invest in cybersecurity as cyber attacks would have the potential to bring transport, comm12unications, finance and supply chains to a dead halt. However, I suspect these common-sense suggestions will be ignored by our political masters Andrew Ferrier, West Launceston, Tas THE FORUM Researching bias The Pew Research Centre polling has upset my assumption that almost no one in Australia would approve of Trump's presidency (' Australians on Trump: dumb, dangerous and dishonest ', 12/6. It is depressing, for example, to think that 28 per cent of Australian men have confidence in Trump. But probably fair enough. It confirms my own sampling. I don't have much confidence in 28 per cent of Australian men. Bronwen Murdoch, South Melbourne
Sydney Morning Herald
7 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's AUKUS review gives us a chance to rethink our alliances
Stephen Bartholomeusz' excellent article led me to speculate on our strategic defence strategy (' Has Trump created a path for the Euro to displace the $US?' June 12). As our prime minister prepares to meet US President Donald Trump, he will be well aware of the growing distaste among most Australians for our long-standing alliance with America. Now, Washington is reconsidering AUKUS (' AUKUS in doubt as US starts review ', June 11). It is natural for a state to put its own interests first, but why doesn't Australia do the same? You don't need to be Einstein to work out the AUKUS subs will never materialise. What if Australia got ahead of the game for once and explored a revised strategic alliance with Britain and France, based initially on French nuclear subs? We are at an historic juncture where most of the Western world is looking for a new, more stable order, so let's begin with a plan to not only strengthen our defence capability, but to strengthen our overall relations with Europe. This will also remove the possible perennial sore point that AUKUS threatens to become. Win-win? James Archibald, Enmore Australia's commitment to AUKUS and its multi-billion dollar submarine project is misguided and outdated. It's as if our leaders have ignored everything the war in Ukraine has taught the world about modern warfare. We are investing billions in submarines that will take decades to deliver – vessels designed for a form of warfare that is rapidly becoming obsolete. Meanwhile, we've seen how inexpensive drones and smart technology can disable or destroy equipment worth 100 times more. The battlefield has changed, and we are failing to keep up. On top of that, we're now investing in long-range missile systems. One has to ask: who are these intended for? You don't buy long-range missiles unless you plan to use them – and that points to a dangerous shift in our military posture from defence to offence. What Australia really needs is a smart, modern, defensive capability – one that protects our people and land, not one that provokes arms races or ties us to foreign conflicts. It's time to stop buying Cold War-era hardware. It's time to modernise our defence, focus on protecting our own shores, and make foreign policy decisions based on Australia's best interests, not Washington's. Doug Cliff, Point Clare In 2020, Donald Trump handed Scott Morrison one of America's highest military awards, the Legion of Merit. By 2021, the AUKUS deal between these two self-serving cronies had signed away billions of dollars of Australian taxpayers' money for a deal that gives us nothing but astronomical national debt and the award for being the world's biggest suckers. Anthony Albanese should have taken the opportunity to speak with a comparatively rational leader when Joe Biden was president and make cancelling AUKUS a priority before Trump's return. Instead, desperate to play with the big boys in the playground, he chose to deepen our commitment. We haven't just agreed to being fleeced by, and enslaved to, a dangerous and dishonest America, we have willingly funded it even though it's obvious the submarines will never appear. We expected to be betrayed by a lowlife like Trump, but we have mainly been betrayed by our own politicians, whose cringing weaknesses and pathetic egos have treacherously put our country last. Sally Morris, Leichhardt Cut the rope. Push America off into the Atlantic. Cancel AUKUS. Get back our deposit. Buy our subs from Japan. Strengthen our ties with Japan, China, Indonesia, Europe and India. Let Trump pump his fists in front of his own mirror. Laurie Dicker, Forest Glen If Trump cancels AUKUS, the US will be left with only one ally, Israel. Thinking of it, there's also Russia and North Korea. Ron Brown, Wallsend Democrats blew it With the escalating unrest in America, I am left with increasing anger at the incompetent Democrats, who must now take significant responsibility for the chaos by failing to 'read the room' in the election year (' Los Angeles is at war with Trump's vision of America ', June 12). I was in America for the three months before the election, and all the Democrats did in the media was bang on about a woman's right to an abortion. Fine indeed, but they completely ignored the concerns of the ordinary American people about issues that affected them: jobs, border control, inflation, the economy generally. So as a result of that incompetence, we are left watching America unravel. It is riveting reading each day and I think your US correspondent, Michael Koziol, has the best job in the world – if he can stay safe. Duncan Holmes, Freshwater Q+A's demise began in 2019 It's no surprise that the ABC's Q+A is being canned (' Q+A axed, jobs cut ', June 12). The loss of host Tony Jones in 2019 was arguably the beginning of the end. No subsequent host was a match for his professionalism, innate humour and unbiased adjudication of what were much more interesting, robust and challenging discussions or debates. The later hosts invariably made it about themselves, their opinions, gripes, preferred preselected predictable questions, modifying and asking their own questions, and the twee pursuit of gotcha moments. This self-interested myopia is exactly what Australians have clearly just rejected in their politicians, so no wonder the ratings went south under the keen judgment of discerning ABC audiences. Robyn Dalziell, Kellyville It really is enough to make an old political junkie cry (' Axed show no longer got us talking ', June 12). Panel shows where opposing parties eyeball each other and ideas are passionately contested should be the bread and butter of the ABC, but it seems our increasingly tame public broadcaster has lost its taste for the confrontation and controversy these formats deliver. The Drum disappeared without a whimper or any sign of a replacement. Now Q+A is 'dead, buried and cremated' … words I reckon Tony Abbott might be repeating as they pop the champagne corks over at the IPA. Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn Now that Q+A is gone, I suggest the ABC reinstate The Drum. It was a stimulating and thought- provoking show leading in to the 7pm news and offered a well-balanced set of views from knowledgeable panellists, as well as politicians, on contentious questions. The current time slot is filled with a dreadful show that makes even Antiques Roadshow interesting. Currently Would I Lie to You? is the best option at 6.30pm on the ABC, an ironic choice indeed. Our national broadcaster should and could do better than this. Annie Scrivener, St Ives Let's face it, Q+A is no real loss. Nor was the all-too-PC The Drum. The axing of Lateline was a great mistake, but I guess we can't hope for a return. Let's hope now that the ABC will moderate its chasing of, presumably, younger audiences with the frippery of lightweight reality programs and comedians laughing at their own, usually weak, jokes. So let's have some decent current affairs and news analysis and not of the attack dog sort, or the relentless chasing of 'gotcha' moments to fill tomorrow's headlines, or the repeat of what has been in earlier news broadcasts. Until then, this once rusted-on ABC TV viewer will seek decent analysis somewhere else. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls What a shame about Q+A' s axing after I started watching it again this year. Has it really been six years since Tony Jones left the show? I stopped watching when it moved to Thursdays. It had been must-see TV after Media Watch on Mondays. With rotating hosts and internal dramas, Q+A lost its continuity and purpose. There was no need to change the formula and fix what wasn't broken. Robert Yen, Lidcombe Tough stance welcome For too long, Australia has taken its foreign affairs cues from the US, so it was gratifying to see Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong show some independence in sanctioning the right-wing Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich (' Australia imposes Magnitsky-style sanctions on two hardline Israeli ministers ', June 11). Our condemnation of them does not serve as a balm to Hamas, whose crimes against Israel are acknowledged by Australia. The people of Palestine must have a homeland. Only then will there be peace in the Middle East. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill Bradfield blame game The Liberals' Bradfield mansion has burnt to the ground, and rather than accept that it was the result of years of neglect and misreading of the electorate, they are still running around looking for an arsonist (' Why the Liberals should just accept defeat in Bradfield ', June 12). Traducing the excellent and transparent work of the AEC, casting aspersions on the intellect of the electorate, anything other than recognising the result is due to their own political blindness and ineptitude. Let's hope the Trumpian refusal to accept the loss ends soon and some political insight results in the rebuilding of a relevant opposition. Mind you, pigs might also fly. Elisabeth Goodsall, Wahroonga Liberal makeover Finally, some common sense from Sussan Ley as she and her small band of survivors pick through the still smouldering ruins of their once powerful broad church, searching for any usable foundations on which to rebuild (' Ley to order radical Liberal review ', June 12). But perhaps even the big, old cornerstones of small government and lower taxes are no longer fit for purpose. To help in her deliberations she needs only to look to the experiment tearing America apart (' Trump: Dumb, dishonest and dangerous say Australians ', June 12). Voters recognise there is a growing need for government services – health, NDIS, welfare, unemployment, defence etc – not to mention lowering the confrontational brand that the Liberals seem wedded to. Their new manifesto could then also include actually doing our bit to save the planet and being generous towards less fortunate nations and individuals escaping persecution. If Labor ever dropped the ball, voters might even consider a party believing in the above values as a viable alternative. Peter Thomson, Brunswick (Vic) Sussan Ley doesn't need to arrange a major review of the Liberal Party and the reasons for its failures. The Liberals just need to stop denying climate change/global warming, accept and embrace the march towards renewable energy and totally forget nuclear power. If the Nationals don't like it, then it will be time for Ley and the Liberals to say goodbye to them. Ken Butler, Mount Colah Home truth It is a no-brainer that the cost of building a new residence will soar if there is a shortage of materials and skilled labour (' Home building costs soar ', June 12). However, if one tours the more affluent suburbs, as I often do on my bicycle, the number of major renovations being carried out, usually on large houses for apparently well-off residents, is extraordinary. These renovations are consuming materials and labour, and one wonders if they should take precedence over desperately needed new housing. Perhaps councils could limit the number of approved renovations at any time in the interests of freeing up labour and materials, and thus reduce pressure on costs of new residences. Geoff Harding, Chatswood Reality bites We all know that climate change-worsened heatwaves, bushfires and floods are detrimental to our collective health. But climate change is also driving up incidences of horrible vector-borne diseases like dengue fever (' Mosquito disease cases on the rise', June 12). Mosquitos are already the most deadly creature on the planet, killing more than a million people a year. Our warmer climate is creating the conditions for these pests to spread more readily than ever – just another sting to add to the long list of reasons why climate action matters. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic) Tax gas giants Ken Henry once said that he did not understand why young people weren't out on the streets rioting about the unfairness of the tax system. I wonder when we will charge sensible levies on the gas exporters who sell the nation's non-renewable gas resources and pay little to nothing for it, and use tax shelters to minimise corporate tax. Australian gas exporters pay an average of 14 per cent tax while similar companies in Scandinavia pay 73 per cent, and they have a massive wealth fund to pay for education and health, plus other important areas of good for the community. The new government now has the political strength to fix this outrage. Will they do it? I suppose not. Maybe I am just dreaming. Max Press, North Sydney Sail on, sailor The passing of the Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson brings memories flooding back from my early days of longboard surfing in Australia (' Brian Wilson dies at 82 ', June 12). Cars with boards on top and radios blasting out Wilson's songs like Surfin' Safari, Surfer Girl, Girls on the Beach along the beachfront. Later, as the Beatles grew in strength, even Paul McCartney praised Wilson for iconic titles like Good Vibrations, God Only Knows and Wouldn't it Be Nice, as the Beach Boys developed and matured. In Australia, those times will be remembered as the start of the great Australian surfing period, with heroes like Midget Farrelly and Manly's Glenn Ritchie and Robbie Lane, while in the car park Wilson's music dominated the airwaves. Many of us will be feeling sadness and nostalgia as we farewell Brian Wilson's musical genius. William Tuck, Mosman Cheeky shortcut Stories about the AMP building reminded me of when I was about 17 or 18 working as a cleaner there. Part of my job involved sweeping the roof. Instead of picking up the litter I would simply sweep it over the edge. As it was about 5.30am, I assumed it wouldn't land on anyone. At least I hope it didn't. Patrick McMahon, Paddington
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Israeli minister sanctions dubbed too little, too late
The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website. The sanctioning of two Israeli ministers by Australia has been labelled a "slap on the wrist" by a prominent pro-Palestine advocate. The federal government has imposed sanctions on Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in a co-ordinated move with Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. The sanctions were applied for "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", with the pair barred from travelling to Australia and any assets in the country being frozen. The measures prompted condemnation from the US, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying it would do little to achieve a ceasefire in the conflict. Australian Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni welcomed the move but said it was too little, too late. "These sanctions are crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late," he said. "This is a small step, but Australia must stop pretending that a slap on the wrist for two fascist ministers is justice." Mr Mashni said further sanctions, similar to measures imposed against Russian officials for the country's invasion of Ukraine, need to be applied. "Australians of good conscience demand real action. That means a full array of sanctions," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the need for the sanctions, despite blowback from Israel and the US. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley says the government has overstepped its bounds. "It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government," she told Sky News on Thursday. "The US has explained that these actions are actually counterproductive to securing that ceasefire and that peace, and the government should be paying attention to that." Shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser, who is Jewish, says the style of sanctions imposed by the government was normally reserved for human rights abusers and terrorists. "The big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries," he told ABC Radio. "If this is the new standard, it will have serious implications for our international relations.". Middle East politics professor at Deakin University Shahram Akbarzadeh said the sanctions were a consequential step. "It is significant and it sends a signal that Australia is becoming more resolute in pursuing its foreign policy agenda of a two-state solution," he told AAP. "Australia would not have done this on its own, but when Australia sees other allied countries taking this move, that allows Australia to feel comfortable in numbers." Israel's ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon said the sanctions were concerning and unacceptable. "These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable," he said in a statement. "The Israeli government will convene early next week to consider and determine our official response to these actions." Prof Akbarzadeh said the sanctions imposed by the Western allies would not alter how Israel would conduct itself in the conflict. "Israel has shown it does not take international opinion seriously, and this move is unlikely to deter the Israeli government in the way they're prosecuting the war in Gaza," he said. The latest eruption of war in Gaza was sparked by militant group Hamas killing about 1200 people and abducting 250 others in Israel on October 7, 2023. Israel's military response has since killed almost 55,000 mostly civilian Palestinians in Gaza, local health authorities say. Australia in July also sanctioned Israelis involved in attacking and killing Palestinians in the West Bank. Australia has listed Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2001, according to the federal government's national security website.
