Israel minister praises Penny Wong on Iran, Queensland speech ban

Israel’s Foreign Minister praised Penny Wong for Australia’s stance on the Iran War and urged other states to implement Queensland speech bans at Zionist leaders briefing. Stephanie Tran reports.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar praised Australia for expressing its “correct position” on the US-Israeli war against Iran during a meeting with Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Sa’ar’s remarks were made during the Zoom briefing held by Australian Zionist Federation President Jeremy Leibler on Sunday evening. MWM.

The Israeli minister said he had met Wong twice in the past week and praised Australia’s stance on the conflict with Iran despite “deep disagreements on the Palestinian issue”.

Stating that Israel is facing increasing political pressure in western countries, Sa’ar claimed that in some states, “Muslim communities have grown considerably and have more political influence than in the past.”

“There is a huge difference between a right-wing government or a left-wing government. This significantly changes the level of support we receive from these countries,” Sa’ar said.

“It is difficult in the political struggle, it is difficult in the public relations struggle, it is even moral,” he said.

Sa’ar also criticized international efforts to revive the two-state solution, saying, “It is quite clear that establishing a Palestinian state for the Israeli people here, in the heart of Israeli territory, two miles from where I sit now, is a problem, not a solution.”

Support for strikes from Australia

Australia was among the first countries to openly support US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

One joint statement In a statement released hours after the attack on February 28, Anthony Albanese, Wong and defense minister Richard Marles said Australia supported the attacks.

“We support the United States taking action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to prevent Iran from continuing to threaten international peace and security,” the statement said.

Someone strikes He killed more than 170 people, mostly children, at a girls’ school.

The government has since expanded its involvement. Albanese on Tuesday announced It was stated that Australia will send a military aircraft and 85 Australian Defense Force personnel to the United Arab Emirates to help defend the Gulf countries targeted by Iran.

experts to say This move effectively makes Australia a party to the conflict.

‘Change’ in the government’s stance

During the briefing, Jeremy Leibler said Australia has historically been among Israel’s strongest international supporters.

“We pride ourselves in Australia on the fact that we are the most Zionist community in the world,” he said.

“We have been incredibly proud of the fact that in this country, no matter who is in power, no matter what side of politics, we have had strong bipartisan support for Israel for decades.”

Leibler said he was “deeply disappointed” by what he described as the government’s “post-October 7 policy changes and decisions,” including the recognition of the state of Palestine.

However, he suggested that recent developments indicate a change in tone.

“The Australian government’s response to Iran and also the decision to extend the invitation to President Herzog for a state visit and the respect shown to him is very clear… I think a lot of people think there’s a shift happening,” he said.

Leibler recalled standing at Government House in Canberra with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Governor-General Sam Mostyn and Israeli President Isaac Herzog during the visit.

“We heard Hatikvah played not once but twice in Canberra, with a cannon salute as Israeli flags flew all over the city,” he said, referring to Israel’s national anthem.

Praise for Queensland protest laws

Sa’ar also praised a recent change. protest laws Legislation in Queensland that allows criminal sanctions for the use of certain slogans linked to pro-Palestinian activism.

Yesterday police in the state arrested Two protesters, including an 18-year-old woman wearing a shirt that read “From river to sea”, under new hate speech laws passed by the Queensland Parliament.

Laws passed last week ban the use of the phrases “river to sea” and “Globalize the intifada” in a way that makes someone feel “threatened, harassed or offended.” The restrictions apply to written or spoken forms, including chants and banners, and carry a prison sentence of up to two years.

“I would like to praise the change in law in Queensland to criminalize certain anti-Israel slogans,” Sa’ar said.

“I think it’s very important, and to the extent that you can influence other regions or states in Australia to do the same, that would be very happy.”

Sa’ar said Israel is also encouraging governments to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism.

“We are working with other states around the world to adopt the IHRA definition and take steps against antisemitism, and we encourage the Australian government to do so,” he said.

At the end of the briefing, Leibler told the Israeli minister: “Our thoughts and affection are with you, the IDF and the entire Israeli people.”

Moral double vision as Australia heads towards the Gulf

Stephanie is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. He worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where he assisted Crikey’s defense team in the high-profile libel case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. His reporting has been recognized nationally, earning him the 2021 Guardians of Democracy Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.