Penny Wong says she believes Israeli soldiers sexually assaulted and abused Australian women after Gaza flotilla | Australian foreign policy
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said she believes Australian women who claim they were sexually assaulted and beaten by Israeli soldiers after being detained on a humanitarian aid flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza.
Joining the Senate estimates, Wong said the treatment of Australian women was “unacceptable” and the allegations they later made were “regrettable”.
“My principled position is to always believe women when allegations of sexual assault are made,” Wong said.
Eleven Australians were part of the Global Sumud Fleet, which sailed from Mediterranean ports to deliver food, medicine and baby food to the war-torn Gaza Strip, which is blockaded by Israel.
The boats were stopped by Israeli naval forces and the unarmed civilians on board were detained and deported; Some allegedly suffered violent abuse, including beatings and rape. Israel denied the allegations.
Wong told the estimates committee: “These allegations are appalling. They are appalling. The treatment is unacceptable. And I express my empathy for the women to whom this was done.”
He said the Australian government had raised concerns with Israel about the treatment of sailors in the fleet and that Israel had refused to allow Australian diplomats access to detained Australians.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi detailed the allegations of some Australians detained by Israel.
“One of the squadron participants, Juliet Lamont, said she was sexually assaulted, beaten, tied to wires and had so much water thrown in her face that at one point she thought she would drown. ‘They pulled my trousers and underwear and one of the soldiers raped me. My daughter was injected with an unknown substance. Others had guns shoved into them,’ she says.
“Another of these brave humanitarians, Neve O’Connor, said she was abused, physically beaten and sexually humiliated. ‘I had my hands pinned behind my back while he repeatedly kneed me in the spine, kneed my thighs,’ she says.”
“And Violet CoCo told us she was held at gunpoint, stripped of her clothes, and pushed into a shipping container, where she was beaten, kicked, and sexually assaulted, and then dumped in the prison yard.”
Faruqi asked Wong directly: “Do you believe these women?”
Wong responded: “My principled position is to always believe women when allegations of sexual assault are made.”
In a heated exchange with Faruqi, Wong reasserted his position: “You should believe the women who make these allegations, and so do I.”
The Senate committee then dispersed before returning to the matter.
At the second debate, Wong confirmed that his office had been in direct contact with some of the Australian women who were part of the squadron.
“It is my view… that these confronting and distressing allegations against women should be believed and treated with respect and seriousness, and that is what we will do: I do not intend to delve further into these issues in this forum.”
Three members of the squadron, including Lamont, held a press conference in the parliament building on Thursday, requesting a meeting with the foreign ministry and prime ministers.
“Really Penny’s [Wong] He recently said he believes in us,” Lamont said.
“I guess the extension of that is that he met with us, listened to our testimony, and imposed sanctions on Israel. What other country would be allowed to rape and torture 11 ordinary citizens from this country and walk away?”
Israeli Embassy in Australia released a statement last week He said the flotilla was “organized for the purpose of provocation rather than humanitarian concerns” and claimed some of the people on board were “well-known agitators”.
“The provocateurs were neither tortured nor raped. Such allegations are completely unfounded and are only intended to further the provocateurs’ smear campaign against Israel.”
Wong was also asked in the Senate about his predictions about Australia’s wider relationship with Israel. He rejected the claim that he described Israel as an “ally”.
“This is not a phrase I use because we don’t have an alliance. We have alliance partners.”
Wong said Australia was currently experiencing “one of the most challenging times” in the history of its relationship with Israel.
“Australia strongly opposes many of the actions of the Netanyahu government and we have been clear about this opposition.
“Mr Netanyahu and some of his colleagues had a lot to say about our government and Australia.”
Wong said Australia had conveyed its concerns to Israel about the violence in Gaza and illegal settlements in the West Bank. He condemned the lack of progress in investigations into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and his colleagues, who were killed by the IDF.
Wong also condemned the refusal to allow Australian diplomats to serve in Palestine, the damage to Australian veterans’ war graves in Gaza and the alleged mistreatment of Australian citizens.
“Now, this is a pattern of behavior and it makes it difficult…unless the pattern of behavior changes, it is very difficult to see the relationship change.”
