The politics of Peter Dutton's position on Israel

From Schwartz Media. I'm Daniel James. This is seven am. The war in the Middle East is dominating Australian politics. Peter Dutton has spent the week going hard against the Prime Minister, saying he disrespected the Jewish community when he called for the de escalation and a cease fire in his condolence motion on October seven. But there are signs that Dutton's attacks aren't landing and he's become too focused on the Middle East conflict at the expense of pressing

Yeah? Hi, Daniel, Well the motion had fifteen statements.

May give the call to the Prime Minister.

Thanks very much, missus.

Speaker.

I moved that the House of Representatives a reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of Hamasa's terror attacks on Israel.

Which the first four condemned unequivocally the massacre, the taking of hostages, and the brutal attacks on hundreds of other innocent Israelis on that day. It called for the immediate release of the hostages, It condemned anti Semitism and stood with Jewish Australians who have been affected by it. But it then went on to call for a cease fire and regional de escalations.

K stresses the need to break the cycle of violence and supports international efforts to de escalate, for a sea firing Gaza and in Lebanon, and for lasting peace and security for Israeli, Palestinian, Lebanese and all people in the region.

The emotion went broader, recognizing that there are many others in Australia deeply distressed by the conflict beyond October seven, and it warned the undermining of social cohesion risks Australia's domestic security, and the Prime Minister went on quote every civilian life matters, every Palestinian, every Lebanese, every single innocent life.

That is the truth.

We must hold on to the truth of a shared humanity, of the hope that peace is possible, and the belief that it belongs to all people. To quote the great Doctor Martin Luther King, darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that. I commend the resolution to the House.

The motion passed the House with eighty five votes. There were fifty four against the entire Liberal and National parties and three from the cross bench. The four Greens abstained. Of course, all the action wasn't only in the House of Representatives. The motion then went to the Senate, and it was there that there was quite a kafaffel. Lydia Thorpe now an independence. She marched into the chamber screaming out.

The reason we're advocating for us, our Minister on cases in your seat.

And the Green senators held up placards and defiance of the standing orders and angering the President of the Senate, the demanding sanctions now on Israel.

Senator thought, it is inappropriate to come in here, Senator thought, Senator thought, come to order, Senator Thorpe, come to order, Senator thought, take your seat, Senator thought.

Issue in the Senator is still unresolved.

So the Coalition and the Greens didn't support the motion.

What did they say, Well, the Greens leader Adam Bant was critical of Albanisi for not allowing amendments that would not give sympathy, but condemnation of Israel hardly fitting in with the purpose of the day. But Bant was uncompromising in his condemnation of the ongoing slaughter as he calls it, and critical that war crimes were not condemned.

Well.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton was at the polar opposite end of the argument.

This motion was supposed to be about October seven, about the loss of human life in the circumstances that we've just graphically outlined, and that people cross the world now come to understand. I proposed to the Prime Minister a motion which was balanced and objective.

Dutton refused to back the motion. He said the original intent of the motion was to mark the loss of twelve hundred Israeli lives.

This government has sought to walk both sides of the street in relation to what has been a very divisive debate for our country. It's what in part has given rise to the anti Semitism that we've seen in university campuses, but across society more generally.

He said, the Prime Minister, unlike his labor predecessors, didn't have the decency to respect the Jewish community.

And for that, Prime Minister, you should stand condemned. We have put to this Prime Minister a more than reasonable position.

And Dutton's position since October seven last year has given Israel unquestioning support. He rarely acknowledges the loss of Palestinian life and supports ongoing war until Hamas Hesbalah and the hooties are routed. But it should be remembered that Albanezi meant over backwards trying to get bipartisanship on this motion. There were meetings on the weekend and even on Tuesday morning.

I wish that we as a Parliament could come together and lead unitedly. I would have supported this motion had it been separated into two motions one on October seven one. Recognizing the pain that the last year had brought.

She criticized her colleagues in Parliament for not being able to find common grounds.

And I am once again disappointed by this House and the political politicization of this issue, because the country is looking for us to come together. The country is hurting. There are people who have lost friends and families across our communities. They are hurting and we are not helping these people.

Is an obviously a tricky issue for the government. How would you describe the political calculations they are making when they're talking about this war?

Well, Daniel, of course, no matter what the politicians want you to believe, there are always political calculations. Dutton accuses Albanisi of selling out Israel to appease Arab and Muslim voters, particularly in Western Sydney, with two and possibly three seats in play, but it's also clear that Dutton has his eye on three seats as well, with significant Jewish numbers, two held by Teal Independence and one held by Labor on a knife edge in Melbourne, and the issue was

And Paula's politicians fought over words elsewhere in Parliament some palestinianstraints front of the media. What happened at that press conference.

Well of the Greens and Lydia Thorpe, the former Green, and Fatima Payman, well, they turned up with the Palestinians at Parliament House to say look this isn't only about words, it's about real people.

That this is a press conference where you've just heard for the last forty five minutes to the impacts of the genocide, the state.

Of Israel and what they have done, and you're asking questions about emotion, You're asking questions about Israel having the rights to self defense, trying to give a dimension to the view they hold that the whole conflict is not only regrettable, but reprehensible and as a human catastrophe.

There were massive protests last weekend, and there have been massive protests throughout the last twelve months, thousands of people gathering to show their support for Palestine and thousands also gathering to commemorate the attacks on Israel a year ago. What does this tell you about how big an issue this is in the minds of voters right now.

Well. Research by the Labor Party finds that while a majority of Australians, probably around seventy to seventy five percent, are aware of the conflict, they see it as over there and regrettable, but it doesn't really concern us, so it doesn't have a broad resonance in that sense. Labor thinks that around ten percent of Australians are particularly involved and exercised, and these would be people on the Jewish and Palestinian side, with the relatives in Gaza or in Israel. Now.

After the break how the conflict might shape politics here in a surprising and indirect way, for the conflict in the Middle East is dominating politics here at home, despite some evidence that for most voters it is in top of mind. We're gearing up for an election sometime early in the next year. So can you tell me about how this issue is likely to impact the result?

Well, I guess that remains to be seen. Besides Wentworth in Sydney, there are two seats in Melbourne potentially in play, Kujong and McNamara. Coujong took in a big swag of Jewish votes from the abolished seat of Higgins Well. Independent Monique Ryan will hope her chances are protected by Dutton's failure to develop serious pos on climate change and energy. That certainly played a part in Ryan winning Kujung in

Your comments yesterday with regard to strikes on.

Iranian oil facilities, What did you mean by them?

Given some of the reactions for Senior in the market.

Colok, the Israelis have I concluded how they're what they're going to do in term of the strain, that's on a discussion.

Biden's so worried he's tried to talk Netanyahu out of bombing Iran's oil facilities. Well, you'd have to say the Israeli Prime Minister hasn't shown much of any inclination to take notice of the US President in the past twelve months and is unlikely to begin heeding him now, even though it's been widely reported that on Thursday morning, there was an intense phone discussion between nettin Yahoo and Biden.

Until the phone call, today, US officials tell NBC News that Israeli leaders had not briefed the US on the specific details of their retaliatory response against Iran, even as the Pentagon discussed the possibility of supporting any potential military action.

Financial journalist Alan Cohler says if that happens, there would be an epic inflationary bust, similar to the nineteen seventy three oil shock. Coler points out that destroying Iran's facilities on carg Island, twenty five kilometers off the coast, would destroy only three percent of global production, but it would be a very different story if Iran retaliated by taking out Saudi Arabian and United Arab Emirates oil production capacity,

So that was the case, then, pore that this ends up impacting people's cost of living here in Australia right before an election, how do you think that will shape the way the election is fought.

Well rationally Given the current scientific alarm over global warming, it should give weight to relying even more urgently on Australia's abundant sources of wind and solar energy. Our vulnerability to imported fossil fuels for our transport needs would be significantly lessened if we were further down the path of electrification. We yet to see what energy policies the coalition will take to the next election. We should remember nuclear is

Paul, thank you so much for your time. Let's do this against scene.

Thank you, Daniel By.

Also in the news today, the Deputy Prime Minister's chief of staff claims she's being forced out of her job after raising complaints of bullying against her colleagues. Joe Tunwoski claims that while she's still currently employed as chief of staff, she has been ostracized and unable to access her office without giving twenty four hours notice since June this year.