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Australians will be evacuated from Israel on emergency flights amid a political brawl over the federal response to the crisis in the Middle East, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urging the government to act against Palestinian protesters and offer munitions to Israel.<\/p>\n
The government is arranging the flights with Qantas to repatriate Australians within days after confirmation that Sydney grandmother Galit Carbone had died in the Hamas attacks \u2013 the first known Australian casualty.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited a Melbourne synagogue, St Kilda Shule, on Wednesday afternoon to assure Jewish leaders of his support. He repudiated the \u201chateful prejudice\u201d of protesters who yelled antisemitic chants in Sydney earlier in the week.<\/p>\n
The Sydney and Melbourne protests are fuelling authorities\u2019 concerns about support for Hamas, named a terrorist group by Australian security agencies, and intensifying a rhetorical fight between Labor and the Coalition over which side was stronger on national security.<\/p>\n
Dutton escalated his warnings about the domestic risks and called on Albanese to condemn the protesters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is conduct that deserves condemnation from the highest office in the country, and the prime minister should be out there sending a very clear message that these rallies shouldn\u2019t take place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Going further in a radio interview, Dutton suggested that Australia offer military aid to Israel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we should make it clear to Israel, as well, that, if requested, Australia can provide munitions or other support, specialist support, if that\u2019s going to provide support to the resolution of what is obviously a horrible situation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
While Albanese convened a ministry meeting in Melbourne as well as visiting the synagogue, deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley called on him to return urgently to Canberra to focus on the situation in Israel because he had been too slow to respond.<\/p>\n
In another Coalition statement, shadow education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson called on the government to protect Jewish students at Australian schools and universities.<\/p>\n
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Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has attacked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese\u2019s response to the crisis in the Gaza Strip.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Alex Ellinghausen<\/cite><\/p>\n Albanese and senior ministers have been briefed by security officials since Hamas launched its incursion last weekend, while also negotiating the repatriation flights with Qantas, which will depart from Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv from Friday.<\/p>\n The flights will be operated by Qantas free-of-charge and will take Australians to London.<\/p>\n \u201cOur immediate priority is to ensure the Australians who want to leave Israel are able to do so \u2013 but we are working on options for Australians who need onward support from London,\u201d Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Transport Minister Catherine King said in a statement.<\/p>\n With social media comments drawing parallels between the murder of Israeli civilians and the Holocaust, Wong made a speech to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce that emphasised Labor\u2019s support for the creation of Israel after the atrocities of the Second World War.<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain as steadfast and unwavering as ever in our support for Israel,\u201d she said, adding that peace would be enhanced by a two-state solution between Israel and a future Palestinian state.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the many tragic consequences of Hamas\u2019s abhorrent attack is that it has pushed that two-state solution further out of reach,\u201d Wong said. \u201cThat also makes this is an unconscionable crime perpetrated by Hamas against the Palestinian people.\u201d<\/p>\n Greens leader Adam Bandt expressed concern at both sides of the argument in Australia over the Middle East. \u201cThere is no place for antisemitism or Islamophobia in the push to end the occupation of Palestine and build a lasting peace,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Albanese dismissed Dutton\u2019s criticisms of the government and his call for an urgent meeting of the national security committee of cabinet.<\/p>\n Calling the murder of Israelis by Hamas an \u201cappalling and abhorrent\u201d attack, Albanese said he and others had been working on contingencies such as the repatriation flights for several days and did not talk publicly about this work while it was underway.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the way that national security, diplomacy and intelligence should operate. Not as a political game,\u201d Albanese said. \u201cThese are serious issues. My government has had every single one of the appropriate meetings, forums, discussions, briefings has occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government was considering measures to increase security for the Jewish community in Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are looking very closely at what needs to be done in terms of additional security, particularly around Jewish schools,\u201d Marles said on 3AW. \u201cEvery Australian should have a right to go about their activities in this country free from fear.\u201d<\/p>\n Marles said he sensed a deep anxiety among Jewish Australians. He defended Labor\u2019s response to the attacks, saying that the government had condemned Hamas from the outset and always reiterated Israel\u2019s right to defend itself.<\/p>\n