Latest news with #Magnitsky-style
West Australian
a day ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Opposition leader Sussan Ley accuses Penny Wong of overstepping in ‘unprecedented' Israeli minister sanctions
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has accused the Albanese Government of overstepping by slapping 'unprecedented' sanctions on two Israeli Government ministers. She accused Penny Wong of acting 'unilaterally' in imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions on National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The Albanese Government joined the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway to sanction the pair, accusing them of 'inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank'. 'It is unprecedented to, as a government, take actions, sanctions on members of a democratically elected government. It appears that Penny Wong acted unilaterally on this,' Ms Ley told Sky New on Thursday. 'The Magnitsky sanctions were never designed to be used in this way, but to take action against terrorist regimes and bad actors.' The Magnitsky legislation allows governments to impose targeted sanctions, such as asset freezes and travel bans, on foreign individuals responsible for serious human rights abuses or corruption. Australia has only selectively deployed the sanctions, mostly on Russian individuals, since they first came into effect in December 2021 with the first set handed down in March 2022. The Foreign Minister and Labor colleagues have defended the measure, with Ms Wong saying the duo had 'extremist rhetoric' including 'appalling and dangerous' calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements. Former Labor defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon also openly labelled them 'extremists.' However when asked whether the Government had 'overstepped the mark', Ms Ley bluntly responded: 'Yes we do. Yes we do'. Ms Ley's criticism of the collective move was echoed by her Coalition team on Thursday, with many calling for a briefing on the decision which they warned could have broader implications. 'We want to understand more deeply the rationale behind the government's decision making,' Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie said on Thursday. 'I think these sanctions do go against the intent of the Magnitsky sanction regime.' Opposition legal affairs spokesman Julian Leeser has warned if the standard for triggering Magnitsky sanctions had been weakened it could impact Australia's standing abroad. 'This is a very serious step. When you read the government's statement, it suggests that it's actually lowered the threshold for applying sanctions,' he told the ABC on Thursday. 'Because these sanctions are being applied because of public comments of the two Israeli ministers and the big question here is whether this is a new standard that will be applied to the public comments of officials from other countries.' Shadow foreign minister Michaelia Cash called the sanctions a 'very serious development' and said they should meet 'a very high threshold.' While backing the sanctions and defending them as 'carefully considered', Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he hoped Australia and Israel would 'continue our friendship'. 'I mean we want to continue our friendship with Israel, let me be clear about that,' he said. 'We've worked very carefully in relation to taking this step over a period of time. 'We've done this in combination with the United Kingdom in combination with Canada and with other nations.' His shadow counterpart Angus Taylor went as far to question whether Ms Wong's call teamed with Labor's refusal to lift the defence budget after US pressure had prompted the Trump Administration to review the AUKUS partnership. But Marles hit back at his 'breathless press conference' and said the Coalition needed to 'take a breath' on the AUKUS probe which he downplayed as a 'natural' decision of any new government. Former Liberal politician and ex-US ambassador Arthur Sinodinos also rejected any link, noting Marles had publicly said he'd been aware a review was coming for weeks. Both sides of politics have said ultimately they wanted to see a ceasefire and long-term end to the Gaza conflict.
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘Entirely unacceptable': Ambassador condemns Australian sanctions on senior Israeli ministers
At Ben-Gvir's direction his ministry purchased thousands of rifles for settler communities, where some groups have been dispossessing Palestinians and committing violent acts. Smotrich has also made inflammatory public remarks, including stating that Gaza 'will be entirely destroyed' and suggesting Palestinians be forced to emigrate. Last year, he indicated the deaths of 2 million Palestinians by starvation in Gaza might be 'justified', comments that drew rebukes from allies including Germany. But British officials said the sanctions were also designed to pressure Netanyahu to negotiate a ceasefire as humanitarian conditions in the strip become increasingly dire. Hamas has not agreed to release all the remaining hostages. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the international community's patience had run out, declining to rule out further sanctions on the government of Israel. 'The situation in the West Bank and the situation in Gaza are untenable, both for civilians and long-term peace in the form of a two-state solution,' she said in Canberra on Wednesday. Wong gave multiple media interviews and a press conference about the sanctions on Wednesday in a departure from Labor's more reserved tone on the matter in its previous term of government, when former opposition leader Peter Dutton frequently castigated the government for breaking with Israel. The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, said the Israeli government would meet early next week to determine how to respond. 'The decision to impose sanctions on two Israeli cabinet ministers is deeply concerning and entirely unacceptable. These ministers are part of a government that operates under the principle of collective responsibility, making such measures unreasonable,' Maimon said. Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Michaelia Cash did not make any comments supporting the two most hardline members of Netanyahu's cabinet. But she did question whether the Magnitsky-style sanctions used by the government were appropriate to impose on a democratically elected government. 'We are concerned that there is a pattern of decisions by the Albanese government targeting the Israeli government, rather than Hamas,' she said. The rocky pathway to a two-state solution will capture global headlines later this month at a New York summit to be hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia. Australia has been involved in working groups for the summit, but officials at home and abroad have cast doubt on the prospects of reaching consensus, as diplomats hastily scramble to put together a clear agenda for the gathering. The two-state solution has been key Western policy for decades, but the Trump administration's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, suggested this week that the US was no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state. Asked by Bloomberg News if a Palestinian state remained a US aim, he said: 'I don't think so.' Under Australia's Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011, sanctions can be applied against individuals responsible for serious violations of human rights, including the right to life and protection from torture. Any Australian found to be dealing with the sanctioned individuals' assets faces penalties of up to 10 years' imprisonment or fines reaching $825,000. A leading Palestinian advocate in Australia, Nasser Mashne, said the sanctions were 'crumbs, tossed by the Australian government 613 days too late.' Loading 'While Australia has hesitated for more than 20 months, Israel has annihilated families, communities, journalists, aid workers, civil infrastructure, every last shred of life in Gaza,' he said. Daniel Aghion, of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said the two ministers' behaviour was 'reprehensible' and about 80 per cent of Israelis did not support them. 'However, if Australia were to sanction every cabinet minister in every government who has incited hatred and violence, we would end up breaking off diplomatic relations with half the world. This measure is an exercise in performative politics,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sanctions on hardline Israeli ministers are not enough
The sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are clearly warranted (' Australia imposes Magnitsky-style sanctions on two hardline Israeli ministers ', June 11). Not only are they an obstruction to a two-state solution, but their views and conduct are contrary to human rights (Palestinians, as well as Jews, are humans, and so have rights). Logic would say the penalties and fines on Australians who aid and abet them should also apply to non-Australians who facilitate their actions. That is Benjamin Netanyahu and his party who are in coalition with them. So, why not sanction the whole Israeli cabinet? David Rush, Lawson How worrying is it that some people in Australia wanted to have Ben-Gvir and Smotrich come here? While their sanctioning is something of a relief, there were Australians who wanted these two foreign ministers to come here and speak. A fortnight ago, the men joined nationalist Israelis marching through the Old City on Jerusalem Day, where some of the participants chanted slogans such as 'death to Arabs' and 'may your village burn'. Smotrich has said he would allow 'not even a grain of wheat' to enter Gaza and that the strip would be 'entirely destroyed' during the war. Ben-Gvir has a number of criminal convictions against him, including incitement of racism and supporting a terrorist organisation. Patricia Philippou, Charlestown Yippee to the Australian government for joining with Britain, Canada, and New Zealand in sanctioning Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right senior ministers in the Israeli government who continue to make inflammatory remarks by inciting violence against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. Eric Palm, Gympie (Qld) Penny Wong has said of the recent suffering of Palestinians, Australia cannot do much on its own, but it can act with others to uphold international law and humanitarian values. Why does Australia not go further, as have others, and recognise a Palestinian state now, and sanction Israel's current government as a whole, not just the two cabinet members? It will be too late to do this when the majority of Palestinians have been killed, or have fled. Elizabeth Vickers, Maroubra I have not been to the Holy Land since 1964 but since then I have followed the course of events, aware of some of the complex story that includes foolish decisions by Palestinian leaders in the past and very evil actions by Hamas today. That said, perhaps more than two Israeli cabinet members need to be sanctioned. Israel's PM has compared its actions against the Palestinians to the legendary massacre of Canaanites by Joshua. And Israel not only now rejects a two-state solution but through its continued activities in the illegally occupied East Jerusalem and West Bank, it surely seeks one Jewish state, from the sea to the river. John Bunyan, Campbelltown Surely if we, as a nation, are applying sanctions on foreign politicians for making inflammatory, outrageous, racist statements, then Donald Trump must be at the top of the list. If not, why not? Jim Croke, Stanmore It's no surprise that correspondents of the Jewish faith and opinion writers disregard the motives of Greta Thunberg and the others who sailed with her on the aid ship to Gaza ('Activists like Thunberg care more about fame than facts', June 11). Maybe it's compassion and empathy for the suffering of Palestinians that is their motive, rather than money and fame. The cynicism of these correspondents and the Israeli government is sickening. Christine Tiley, Albany Creek (Qld) My goodness, what is it about a young Swedish woman and a boat full of baby formula that so threatens the nuclear-armed state of Israel? You could be forgiven for thinking that her intention was to kill aid workers, bomb schools and withhold food and medical supplies to two million people. Alexander Lane, Thornleigh Salary model unfair Whatever the estimate of cost for bringing the salary of NSW staff specialists up to parity with other states, it is the amount the government has been saving each year with its 50-year-old, inequitable, morale-destroying salary model (' Muddying water on psychiatry pay rises ', June 11). NSW pays a base salary two-thirds that of other states and a third is cost-shifted to the Commonwealth through private practice earnings. Psychiatrists, with other non-procedural specialists with limited private earning capacity, can't make up that third. Doctors understand that the government doesn't have the resources to do the right thing overnight, but a structured, assured program is likely to be supported. It should start with psychiatrists, due to the crisis in public psychiatric care, which continues to worsen. How many lives need to be lost before an iniquitous salary model is abolished? Graeme Stewart, Avalon Beach Press under attack From my memory of Ireland during The Troubles, rubber bullets were designed to be fired low so that they would bounce from the ground and start rotating before hitting their target (' Albanese condemns shooting of Nine reporter ', June 11). The fatalities usually occurred when the bullets were fired directly at people's heads and bodies. Now, can anyone explain why members of the press were being fired on at all? Richard Murnane, Hornsby Make NDIS safe The NDIS is our modern-day equivalent of what Medicare was in the 1970s and '80s. It has to be made sustainable and not subject to rip-offs (Letters, June 11). Why not just introduce a medical benefits scheme-like fee structure for services provided and let providers decide if they want to be part of the system? Dale Bailey, St Leonards Collision course RUNIT may be a big hit on social media, but the concept is moronic (' Run It Straight a big hit with global social media fans ', June 11). We've seen the results of high-impact collisions in various forms of football and already this version has caused the death of a young man in New Zealand. While so-called 'sanctioned' events may have medical personnel present, very few if any pop-up versions do. It is time for the authorities to ban this before more people are hurt. Peter Miniutti, Ashbury Least is best The most important gongs awarded in the Australia Day and King's Birthday honours are the OAMs, the lowest rank (Letters, June 11). They are awarded to the people whose voluntary efforts have supported our communities in a wide range of endeavours, often over several years. I salute them. Ainslie Lamb, East Corrimal It's not hypocrisy. If Scott Morrison had deserved his award I would have applauded. He didn't. I didn't. Mickey Pragnell, Kiama It's not whether a recipient is a conservative or a so-called progressive; it's what they did to deserve it and this is where Morrison falls down. He let Aussies down on quite a few occasion, but the worst was probably the delay in vaccines. The rest of the world was vaccinating in November; it didn't start here until February. Elaine Hoyle, Avalon Beach I think that's called 'shooting the messenger'. Our noted defender of the conservative faith flails the lefties for their loud, factual assertions of Scott Morrison's, let's say, shortcomings, but offers no rebuttal other than a feeble, reverse psychology-style 'you're either silent or laudatory when one of yours wins'. In many respects, consistent with conservative politics: predictable ideology and a dash of culture war with a pinch of nothingness. Brian Jones, Leura Revamp toothless building rules Property owners know they are gaming the system when they proceed with unapproved construction (' Uncertified inner-west dream home faces wrecking ball ', June 11). They push their luck and hope they get a Building Information Certificate and then they play the victim. I have no sympathy when I have done the right thing and they are captured by the system for doing the wrong thing. Terry Cook, Ermington The disregard for rules and the arrogant assumption that the law is toothless is what has given rise to the so-called NIMBY. There's a valid fear that the four-storey block will morph into a 10-storey monstrosity, or that the approved house plans will bear no relation to the final result, or the mature trees will be illegally razed. If government wants people to accept increased density, it should step in and play a much larger role in the provision and management of housing and the laws governing housing. Alison Stewart, Riverview Those who build monstrosities, thumbing their noses at council regulations, do so in the knowledge that they are likely to get away with a fine and a slap on the wrist. This lack of action will only encourage others to do the same. Councils need to set an example to stop this anti-social behaviour. Dorothy Gliksman, Cedar Brush Creek I'm puzzled by the story about the house in Strathfield facing demolition. Were we supposed to have empathy for a husband and wife trying to build a nice home for their family yet facing the intransigence of a bullying council? Any of us who have built or renovated homes can share stories of dealing with endless red tape and pedantic rules and regulations set or enforced by local councils, but they are usually invoked for good reason. This giant monstrosity of a home towering over the bungalows either side of it is an example of this. I couldn't think of a more appropriate charge than contempt for these home owners. Tony Bennett, Broke What a contrast your photo highlights, with a modern, land-swallowing mansion flanked by the modest family homes and yards of a bygone era. The trend towards building multi-storey dwellings must surely be a major factor in the housing shortage and affordability crises. Whatever happened to simple and practical? Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills I hardly call butler's pantries, marble tiles, steam rooms and cinema rooms affordable, and this clearly demonstrates 'red tape' has no effect on housing affordability. Todd Hillsley, Homebush Screen is not a parent Well done, Connie Tao Li (' Kids' smartphone use soars ', June 11). If only more parents would recognise the danger of outsourcing child-minding to screens. Gaming apps are designed to provide similar rewards to other addictive habits, while exposure to social media can distort and disrupt a young person's development and mental health. Children are still learning the wisdom and discernment required to engage safely with digital media. As with the rest of life, parental guidance is not just recommended, it is essential. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls Smartphone use begins in the pram. What a lost opportunity for a child to hear the human voice, to learn the cadence and words of its mother tongue and to form a bond with its parent. If the person pushing the pram would talk or sing to the baby or toddler, so much would be achieved. Irene Thom, Vaucluse Vale, Shakespeare Indeed, vale, gentle John Shakespeare (' The gentle cartoonist who gave the Herald its colour ', June 11), and sincere sympathy to his family, many friends and appreciators. His death prompts me to give acknowledgement to all cartoonists who work hard at their craft, whether kindly, instructively, pithily, comically – and even scarily, a tad sarcastically, and very often angrily, at what they see as malfeasance, sham politics, public hypocrisy or dangerous. They comfort, cheer, shock, annoy, inform and ask questions of us. They are picture-wordsmiths. What a valuable service they provide to the community. I thank them. Jennifer Fergus, Croydon Never has a quote rung truer than 'The eyes are the window to the soul'. John Shakespeare's eyes reflect the gentleness and warmth inherent in his nature and displayed in the thousands of his illustrations. Elizabeth Maher, Gordon When life sometimes gets too much, beyond understanding and acceptance, I'm reminded of Louis MacNeice's poem London Rain. No religious overtones, no biblical psychobabble. Short, sweet, direct. To the point. Like a cartoon by John Shakespeare, who illustrated one of my letters and took me straight to Nirvana. Peter Skrzynecki, Eastwood I've had serious letters, humorous letters, letters in Column 8 and letters page on the same day, letters on consecutive days, et cetera. But my proudest moment was a letter accompanied by one of John's 'toons. Vale, John, and my sympathies to his family. Robert Hosking, Paddington I'll always remember the unfailingly optimistic and joyful art of John Shakespeare, and I hope his friends and family never forget what pleasure he gave to the world. Andrew Scott, Pymble John Shakespeare was one of my heroes. His cartoons were the first items I looked up daily in the Herald. To me laughter is more precious than literature. RIP JS. Kersi Meher-Homji, St Ives Warm down south Here in Melbourne, large numbers of people are still casually strolling the streets wearing shorts on 12-degree days. This surely suggest warming the bits of the house you're using to around 18 degrees is enough to be comfortable (' Power bills got you sweating? Stay warm without spending a fortune ', June 11). Switch off lights and the stand-by function. The latter, especially the modem and TV, are costing you 6 to 10 per cent of your bill. And explain why to the kids. Mark Wills, Northcote (Vic)
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
'Don't agree': Former Labor MP who pushed for sanction powers speaks out against Albanese's Israel move
A former Labor MP who spent years advocating for laws giving Australia the power to sanction foreign actors for international law breaches has spoken out against the Albanese government's decision to join four other countries in using them against two Israeli ministers. Michael Danby, who served as the member for Melbourne Ports (now Macnamara) for 20 years before retiring from politics in 2019, was a key architect - along with the late Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching - of Australia's Magnitsky-style sanctions legislation passed in 2022, which enables travel bans to be imposed and assets frozen without warning. He took aim at Foreign Minister Penny Wong for sanctioning Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich overnight, telling The Canberra Times this was not the way the law was designed to be used. "I don't agree with [the decision]," Mr Danby, who is Jewish and has long been a vocal supporter of Israel, said. "Magnitsky sanctions were only meant to be focused on authoritarian states - not democratic states like Israel, where elections or the rule of law can deal with violations by individuals, including local politicians. "Foreign Minister Wong's action against a democratic state throws into sharp relief her failure to employ Magnitsky laws against big fish from authoritarian states - like Beijing's cruel communist commissars in Tibet and East Turkestan ... Whose children often try and get educated here, who like to come on holidays to the Gold Coast here." Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told Seven's Sunrise on Wednesday morning that the decision to sanction the two ministers over their expansion of illegal settlement in the West Bank had been made "after a long process of deliberation and consideration". "We're doing that because we are all deeply concerned about the extremist settler enterprise of the Netanyahu government," she said. "We're concerned about it because it is undermining the prospects of two states. And ultimately, we, along with those other countries and the broader international community, believe we can only see peace in the Middle East when we deal with two states and when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security." It is believed to be the first time Magnitsky laws, which are in force across many Western countries, have been used against individuals from democratic countries. Australia has previously using the laws to sanction individuals and entities in Russia, Iran, and Myanmar. Mr Danby said he agreed with criticism from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the move did "not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire" in the Hamas-Israel war. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected this criticism on Wednesday, telling ABC radio: "I think those responses are predictable, frankly." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said in a statement: "The sanctioning of democratically elected officials of a key ally, Israel, is a very serious development." "The Magnitsky sanctions regime was designed to respond to serious matters of international concern, such as human rights abuses and terrorist acts," Ms Ley said. "The government must explain, in full, why it is being applied in these circumstances ... We have not received a briefing about this matter but would expect there to be a very high threshold for this decision." She called on the government to "explain why they have seemingly lowered the threshold for imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions, and whether this new approach will be applied to comments made by officials from other countries." "This may have serious implications for our international relationships," Ms Ley said. She said the government's explanatory materials "make clear that Minister Wong exercised a discretionary power to impose the sanctions because of public comments made by the two Israeli Ministers, which "appears to be a new development in our foreign policy." "We are concerned that there is a pattern of decisions by the Albanese government targeting the Israeli government, rather than Hamas, including the decision to block the Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister from travelling to Australia." Mr Albanese told the ABC his government continued to "engage with the Israeli government", while standing firm on the decision, saying the two Israeli ministers had "incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank". He said the Israeli government needed to "uphold its obligations under international law", saying that "expansionist rhetoric ... from these hardline right-wing members of the Netanyahu government" contradicted this. Senator Wong would not be drawn on whether sanctions against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself had been considered when Australia joined Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom in sanctioning the Israeli ministers. She said only that while the two ministers were "not the only members of the Israeli government whose actions have been problematic, they are certainly the most extreme." As to other matters, we don't speculate about the approach," Senator Wong told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday morning. The Israeli ministers are accused of inciting and supporting systemic violence against Palestinians and aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements. They will face travel bans and have any Australian assets frozen under laws. A former Labor MP who spent years advocating for laws giving Australia the power to sanction foreign actors for international law breaches has spoken out against the Albanese government's decision to join four other countries in using them against two Israeli ministers. Michael Danby, who served as the member for Melbourne Ports (now Macnamara) for 20 years before retiring from politics in 2019, was a key architect - along with the late Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching - of Australia's Magnitsky-style sanctions legislation passed in 2022, which enables travel bans to be imposed and assets frozen without warning. He took aim at Foreign Minister Penny Wong for sanctioning Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich overnight, telling The Canberra Times this was not the way the law was designed to be used. "I don't agree with [the decision]," Mr Danby, who is Jewish and has long been a vocal supporter of Israel, said. "Magnitsky sanctions were only meant to be focused on authoritarian states - not democratic states like Israel, where elections or the rule of law can deal with violations by individuals, including local politicians. "Foreign Minister Wong's action against a democratic state throws into sharp relief her failure to employ Magnitsky laws against big fish from authoritarian states - like Beijing's cruel communist commissars in Tibet and East Turkestan ... Whose children often try and get educated here, who like to come on holidays to the Gold Coast here." Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told Seven's Sunrise on Wednesday morning that the decision to sanction the two ministers over their expansion of illegal settlement in the West Bank had been made "after a long process of deliberation and consideration". "We're doing that because we are all deeply concerned about the extremist settler enterprise of the Netanyahu government," she said. "We're concerned about it because it is undermining the prospects of two states. And ultimately, we, along with those other countries and the broader international community, believe we can only see peace in the Middle East when we deal with two states and when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security." It is believed to be the first time Magnitsky laws, which are in force across many Western countries, have been used against individuals from democratic countries. Australia has previously using the laws to sanction individuals and entities in Russia, Iran, and Myanmar. Mr Danby said he agreed with criticism from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the move did "not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire" in the Hamas-Israel war. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected this criticism on Wednesday, telling ABC radio: "I think those responses are predictable, frankly." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said in a statement: "The sanctioning of democratically elected officials of a key ally, Israel, is a very serious development." "The Magnitsky sanctions regime was designed to respond to serious matters of international concern, such as human rights abuses and terrorist acts," Ms Ley said. "The government must explain, in full, why it is being applied in these circumstances ... We have not received a briefing about this matter but would expect there to be a very high threshold for this decision." She called on the government to "explain why they have seemingly lowered the threshold for imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions, and whether this new approach will be applied to comments made by officials from other countries." "This may have serious implications for our international relationships," Ms Ley said. She said the government's explanatory materials "make clear that Minister Wong exercised a discretionary power to impose the sanctions because of public comments made by the two Israeli Ministers, which "appears to be a new development in our foreign policy." "We are concerned that there is a pattern of decisions by the Albanese government targeting the Israeli government, rather than Hamas, including the decision to block the Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister from travelling to Australia." Mr Albanese told the ABC his government continued to "engage with the Israeli government", while standing firm on the decision, saying the two Israeli ministers had "incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank". He said the Israeli government needed to "uphold its obligations under international law", saying that "expansionist rhetoric ... from these hardline right-wing members of the Netanyahu government" contradicted this. Senator Wong would not be drawn on whether sanctions against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself had been considered when Australia joined Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom in sanctioning the Israeli ministers. She said only that while the two ministers were "not the only members of the Israeli government whose actions have been problematic, they are certainly the most extreme." As to other matters, we don't speculate about the approach," Senator Wong told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday morning. The Israeli ministers are accused of inciting and supporting systemic violence against Palestinians and aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements. They will face travel bans and have any Australian assets frozen under laws. A former Labor MP who spent years advocating for laws giving Australia the power to sanction foreign actors for international law breaches has spoken out against the Albanese government's decision to join four other countries in using them against two Israeli ministers. Michael Danby, who served as the member for Melbourne Ports (now Macnamara) for 20 years before retiring from politics in 2019, was a key architect - along with the late Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching - of Australia's Magnitsky-style sanctions legislation passed in 2022, which enables travel bans to be imposed and assets frozen without warning. He took aim at Foreign Minister Penny Wong for sanctioning Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich overnight, telling The Canberra Times this was not the way the law was designed to be used. "I don't agree with [the decision]," Mr Danby, who is Jewish and has long been a vocal supporter of Israel, said. "Magnitsky sanctions were only meant to be focused on authoritarian states - not democratic states like Israel, where elections or the rule of law can deal with violations by individuals, including local politicians. "Foreign Minister Wong's action against a democratic state throws into sharp relief her failure to employ Magnitsky laws against big fish from authoritarian states - like Beijing's cruel communist commissars in Tibet and East Turkestan ... Whose children often try and get educated here, who like to come on holidays to the Gold Coast here." Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told Seven's Sunrise on Wednesday morning that the decision to sanction the two ministers over their expansion of illegal settlement in the West Bank had been made "after a long process of deliberation and consideration". "We're doing that because we are all deeply concerned about the extremist settler enterprise of the Netanyahu government," she said. "We're concerned about it because it is undermining the prospects of two states. And ultimately, we, along with those other countries and the broader international community, believe we can only see peace in the Middle East when we deal with two states and when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security." It is believed to be the first time Magnitsky laws, which are in force across many Western countries, have been used against individuals from democratic countries. Australia has previously using the laws to sanction individuals and entities in Russia, Iran, and Myanmar. Mr Danby said he agreed with criticism from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the move did "not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire" in the Hamas-Israel war. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected this criticism on Wednesday, telling ABC radio: "I think those responses are predictable, frankly." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said in a statement: "The sanctioning of democratically elected officials of a key ally, Israel, is a very serious development." "The Magnitsky sanctions regime was designed to respond to serious matters of international concern, such as human rights abuses and terrorist acts," Ms Ley said. "The government must explain, in full, why it is being applied in these circumstances ... We have not received a briefing about this matter but would expect there to be a very high threshold for this decision." She called on the government to "explain why they have seemingly lowered the threshold for imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions, and whether this new approach will be applied to comments made by officials from other countries." "This may have serious implications for our international relationships," Ms Ley said. She said the government's explanatory materials "make clear that Minister Wong exercised a discretionary power to impose the sanctions because of public comments made by the two Israeli Ministers, which "appears to be a new development in our foreign policy." "We are concerned that there is a pattern of decisions by the Albanese government targeting the Israeli government, rather than Hamas, including the decision to block the Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister from travelling to Australia." Mr Albanese told the ABC his government continued to "engage with the Israeli government", while standing firm on the decision, saying the two Israeli ministers had "incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank". He said the Israeli government needed to "uphold its obligations under international law", saying that "expansionist rhetoric ... from these hardline right-wing members of the Netanyahu government" contradicted this. Senator Wong would not be drawn on whether sanctions against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself had been considered when Australia joined Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom in sanctioning the Israeli ministers. She said only that while the two ministers were "not the only members of the Israeli government whose actions have been problematic, they are certainly the most extreme." As to other matters, we don't speculate about the approach," Senator Wong told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday morning. The Israeli ministers are accused of inciting and supporting systemic violence against Palestinians and aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements. They will face travel bans and have any Australian assets frozen under laws. A former Labor MP who spent years advocating for laws giving Australia the power to sanction foreign actors for international law breaches has spoken out against the Albanese government's decision to join four other countries in using them against two Israeli ministers. Michael Danby, who served as the member for Melbourne Ports (now Macnamara) for 20 years before retiring from politics in 2019, was a key architect - along with the late Victorian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching - of Australia's Magnitsky-style sanctions legislation passed in 2022, which enables travel bans to be imposed and assets frozen without warning. He took aim at Foreign Minister Penny Wong for sanctioning Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich overnight, telling The Canberra Times this was not the way the law was designed to be used. "I don't agree with [the decision]," Mr Danby, who is Jewish and has long been a vocal supporter of Israel, said. "Magnitsky sanctions were only meant to be focused on authoritarian states - not democratic states like Israel, where elections or the rule of law can deal with violations by individuals, including local politicians. "Foreign Minister Wong's action against a democratic state throws into sharp relief her failure to employ Magnitsky laws against big fish from authoritarian states - like Beijing's cruel communist commissars in Tibet and East Turkestan ... Whose children often try and get educated here, who like to come on holidays to the Gold Coast here." Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told Seven's Sunrise on Wednesday morning that the decision to sanction the two ministers over their expansion of illegal settlement in the West Bank had been made "after a long process of deliberation and consideration". "We're doing that because we are all deeply concerned about the extremist settler enterprise of the Netanyahu government," she said. "We're concerned about it because it is undermining the prospects of two states. And ultimately, we, along with those other countries and the broader international community, believe we can only see peace in the Middle East when we deal with two states and when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security." It is believed to be the first time Magnitsky laws, which are in force across many Western countries, have been used against individuals from democratic countries. Australia has previously using the laws to sanction individuals and entities in Russia, Iran, and Myanmar. Mr Danby said he agreed with criticism from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio that the move did "not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire" in the Hamas-Israel war. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected this criticism on Wednesday, telling ABC radio: "I think those responses are predictable, frankly." Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said in a statement: "The sanctioning of democratically elected officials of a key ally, Israel, is a very serious development." "The Magnitsky sanctions regime was designed to respond to serious matters of international concern, such as human rights abuses and terrorist acts," Ms Ley said. "The government must explain, in full, why it is being applied in these circumstances ... We have not received a briefing about this matter but would expect there to be a very high threshold for this decision." She called on the government to "explain why they have seemingly lowered the threshold for imposing Magnitsky-style sanctions, and whether this new approach will be applied to comments made by officials from other countries." "This may have serious implications for our international relationships," Ms Ley said. She said the government's explanatory materials "make clear that Minister Wong exercised a discretionary power to impose the sanctions because of public comments made by the two Israeli Ministers, which "appears to be a new development in our foreign policy." "We are concerned that there is a pattern of decisions by the Albanese government targeting the Israeli government, rather than Hamas, including the decision to block the Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister from travelling to Australia." Mr Albanese told the ABC his government continued to "engage with the Israeli government", while standing firm on the decision, saying the two Israeli ministers had "incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank". He said the Israeli government needed to "uphold its obligations under international law", saying that "expansionist rhetoric ... from these hardline right-wing members of the Netanyahu government" contradicted this. Senator Wong would not be drawn on whether sanctions against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself had been considered when Australia joined Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom in sanctioning the Israeli ministers. She said only that while the two ministers were "not the only members of the Israeli government whose actions have been problematic, they are certainly the most extreme." As to other matters, we don't speculate about the approach," Senator Wong told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday morning. The Israeli ministers are accused of inciting and supporting systemic violence against Palestinians and aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements. They will face travel bans and have any Australian assets frozen under laws.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Entirely unacceptable': Ambassador condemns Australian sanctions on senior Israeli ministers
Israel's ambassador has described Australian sanctions and travel bans against far-right Israeli ministers as 'entirely unacceptable', a move Foreign Minister Penny Wong said was a clear sign that the international community is increasingly frustrated with the Israeli war effort in Gaza. Australia imposed Magnitsky-style sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers for their roles in serious human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank, in a move that marked a significant escalation in Canberra's stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Australia was joined by three of its Five Eyes security partners - Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The US was not involved and criticised the sanctions. Norway, which has a long history of involvement in Middle Eastern diplomatic affairs, also signed up to the joint announcement. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have been subjected to targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, effective from Wednesday, June 11. The two hardline figures in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government are accused of inciting and supporting systemic violence against Palestinians and aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements. 'We are steadfastly committed to the two-state solution… but it is imperilled by extremist settler violence and settlement expansion,' the joint statement read. 'Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights. These actions are not acceptable. This is why we have taken action now – to hold those responsible to account.' Wong on Wednesday said Australia had engaged the Israeli government on this issue extensively, 'yet violent perpetrators continue to act with encouragement and impunity'. 'This is why we have taken this action now – to hold those responsible to account. The Israeli government must uphold its obligations under international law and we call on it to take meaningful action to end extremist, violent and expansionist rhetoric.' The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, reacted to the news by saying the Israeli government would meet early next week to determine how to respond.
