Albanese's doctrine of willful blindness on Israel
Originally published in Israel Hayom on 17 January 2024. Click HERE to read the original.
Only a short drive from where, over a century ago, Australia's 4th Light Horse Brigade freed the people of Beersheba, Hamas launched the worst single-day massacre against the Jews since Hitler's Holocaust.
While Jewish families observed Simchat Torah, Hamas launched over 3,000 rockets in just 20 minutes on an unsuspecting civilian population. 3,000 Hamas militants stormed southern Israel including communities like Sderot and kibbutzim like Kfar Aza and Be'eri.
Penny Wong's decision to visit Israel, and yet bypass these sites of the most tragic Jewish pogrom since WWII isn't just a serious error of judgment. It isn't just half-hearted. It demonstrates what has become the core tenet of the Albanese-Wong foreign policy platform: wilful blindness.
I've seen these sites and not just the footage of them. I've walked where children's blood mingled with the sweat of first responders and the tears of loved ones left behind. I've smelt the death, decay, and destruction in families' homes. I've heard the bullets and bombs, and the grievous wails of heartbroken mothers. You can't begin to understand the gravity and evil which confronted Israel on October 7 without visiting; without a first-hand account.
Take some of the worst massacres in our recent history. You couldn't grasp the tragedy and trauma of the Bosnian Genocide without visiting Srebrenica, where Slobodan Milošević slaughtered 8,372 Bosniaks 29 years ago. You'd need to visit the jungles of eastern Cambodia to understand the barbarity of the Khmer Rouge. You'd need to visit Gikondo in Kigali to really comprehend the way Hutu Power tore Rwanda apart, massacring Pallottine worshipers as they cradled children in their arms. Much like Israeli mums in their homes at Kfar Aza. Like the students dancing at a music festival in Re'im. Like the police officers getting ready for another day at work in Sderot. The fact that Penny Wong is refusing to visit these towns in southern Israel is wilful blindness on a whole new level. But we shouldn't be surprised.
Not since the days of Whitlam has an Australian Government been so reckless, witless, and gutless in its foreign policy. They turn a blind eye to existential threats. They slash funding to crucial projects. And when our allies call for cooperation and courage, Each Way Albo and Penny Wong offer politics and platitudes. Protecting Australians and their interests at home and abroad is the number one priority of any government. For two years, at every critical juncture, Labor has squandered the opportunity to do just that. Once again, Labor is choosing to look the other way. Wilful blindness. It's the hallmark of the Albanese-Wong Doctrine. While allies called for assistance to defend the Red Sea, Labor turned from the fight, until just days ago.
While allies call for investment in space capabilities, Labor has slashed billions of dollars without warning or explanation, putting our nation and its reputation at risk. North Korea tests a hypersonic missile. The Chinese PLA-Navy injures Australian soldiers. The UN continues its systemic campaign against Israel. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps puts Australia on notice. Cyberattacks and ransomware are becoming more prevalent day by day. And our defence force demands more personnel and support. And yet we have no acknowledgment, let alone action on any of these issues. This Labor Government is wilfully blind to the threats facing Australians and our allies, and lives will be lost as a result.
Whether their heads are in the sand or in the clouds, it's become clear that their heads are just not in the game. With the world edging closer to war, we cannot neglect our defensive and offensive capabilities, or the alliances on which we rely. 75 years ago this year, Stalin and the Soviet Media launched a savage campaign against the Jewish people. At the same time, they backed Mao Zedong while his forces stormed Taiwan and the Chinese Mainland, killing 1.5 million people. In the same year, NATO and The Commonwealth were born in an effort to defend democracy and fight for freedom, with Australian support.
In the face of isolationism and extremism, we can't follow the ebbs and flows of trend or opinion. We cannot stay on the fence. Unfortunately, we have a government too afraid to stand up for what's right when the going gets tough, and too cowardly to face our geopolitical reality. Gone are the days of Chifley and Menzies, Attlee and Churchill, FDR and Truman. Gone are the days of aspirational multilateralism and institutional trust.
The world needs Australian moral leadership, and Australia needs decisive leadership. And yet, when the call comes, Airbus Albo and Penny Wong are nowhere to be found. Instead, we have a government which is wilfully blind. The reality is that what happens in Tehran, Taiwan, and Tel Aviv affects Australians in every walk of life. If it affects us, we must play a part in making consequential decisions.
75 years ago, Labor's Ben Chifley said, "In the troubled state of international relations today, there is an obligation on all to participate actively in the struggle for the maintenance of world peace and security". Active participation in the struggle for peace is what Australians expect of their government still. But Labor remains wilfully blind and selectively deaf to Australians' expectations. I suspect Chifley would be ashamed of what his party has become.
