Opposition Leader Peter Dutton went full 9/11 hoping to wedge the Albanese Government. Photo: Screenshot.
It seems there is no room for nuance or even-handedness anymore in the nation’s public discourse given the over-the-top response to the horror unfolding in Israel and Gaza from the Federal Opposition and its media megaphones.
Let there be no equivocation about the barbarism of Hamas in its cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip.
Its actions have rightly been condemned as war crimes, and while the militant group, like all committed ideologues, believe they are justified and have strategic aims, the whirlwind they are reaping will bring down all manner of terror on the civilian population it rules by the gun.
Yet to talk about Hamas in isolation from the historical context of the Middle East imbroglio and Israel’s own actions blockading Gaza and allowing continued settlements on Arab land in the West Bank is to deny the aspirations and humanity of the Palestinian people.
I have no answers to what is an intractable situation but the hairy-chested way Peter Dutton has rushed to use the tragedy to wedge the Albanese Government and the hysterical headlines over the response and stance of certain politicians have not been helpful.
Condemnation of Hamas, which does not recognise the right of Israel to exist, has been virtually universal but any politician with a basic understanding of history who provides a measured response or calls for calm has been labelled soft on terror or accused of losing their moral compass.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr refused to condemn his Greens coalition partner for allegedly supporting a pro-Palestine rally, although this was limited to sharing a Facebook post.
The Greens may be accused of being insensitive or naïve but leader Shane Rattenbury did reiterate that there was no place for antisemitism or racism.
For his crime of supporting democratic rights, Mr Barr was castigated, again, in the national broadsheet, which this week screeched for heads to roll over the rally at the Opera House where “idiots”, as described by an organiser, threw a flare and shouted “death to Jews”, and dissected every comment from government ministers for any hint of comfort being given to Hamas.
Despite unambiguous condemnation of Hamas and support for Israel from the Albanese Government, Mr Dutton went full 9/11 calling for a meeting of the national security committee and Australia to pledge military support to Israel if it was needed, claimed the PM wasn’t doing enough to stop Palestinian rallies, and wanted rally participants on visas to be deported.
Even the old warrior John Howard was rolled out to accuse the government of pussy footing on terror.
For calling for restraint to protect the lives of civilians, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who you would expect to be diplomatic, was accused of taking an equivalent position on Hamas and Israel, despite saying “nothing justifies the violence, the hostage-taking, the killing of civilians, the awful scenes we have seen Hamas engaging in”.
It is still possible to be appalled at Hamas, but also support the rights of the Palestinians, Israel and a peaceful solution in the Middle East.
Australia has Jewish and Palestinian or Arab populations fretting about what is happening to friends and relatives, and a coming ground war will only mean more death and destruction, mostly for civilians.
ASIO boss Mike Burgess is to be commended for warning public figures not to make inflammatory statements that would threaten social cohesion
In the midst of this unfolding tragedy, the petty point-scoring says a lot about the parlous state of Australian politics and a large section of the media that is more bent on whipping up hysteria and character assassination than reporting the facts and sober commentary on such a serious matter.
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