Editorial: Anthony Albanese’s weak words are a betrayal of Israel

How much does Israel have to endure before Australia stands up in support of its so-called close friend and ally?

The murder of 1200 of its citizens a year ago wasn’t enough. Nor the taking of hundreds of hostages, 97 of whom remain unaccounted for, though up to a third are believed to be already dead, murdered by their Hamas captors.

For 11 months, missiles have rained down on Israel’s north, sent there by Hezbollah terrorists from their hideouts in southern Lebanon. The impact has been to drive 60,000 Israelis from their homes. That too hasn’t been enough to elicit support for Israel from Australia’s Government.

The latest assault comes direct from Hezbollah and Hamas’s masters in Tehran. A barrage of 200 ballistic missiles aimed all over Israel from Iran. Thankfully, the effectiveness of Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defence system meant no one was killed.

That dramatic escalation of hostilities from Iran won’t go unpunished by Israel. And, as Israel’s allies around the world conceded, nor should it.

President Joe Biden said his nation’s military was actively working with Israel to defend it from the terrorist threat.

“Make no mistake, the United States is fully, fully, fully supportive of Israel,” Mr Biden said.

That was a position echoed by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called out Iran as the long-time instigator of hostilities and the key destabilising force within the Middle East.

The words of Mr Biden and Sir Keir were in stark contrast to the response of Anthony Albanese.

At a press conference on Wednesday morning, after first speaking at length about Labor’s candidate to replace Bill Shorten in the seat of Maribyrnong and a morning tea he recently attended in Essendon, Mr Albanese yet again called for “de-escalation”.

“Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself. What we have called for, consistently, is for a de-escalation in the region,” he said.

When asked if that right to self-defence extended to the right to send troops into southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure, Mr Albanese was evasive.

Instead of offering the steadfast support Israel needs in this critical moment, Mr Albanese referred to a week-old statement issued in conjunction with 13 other nations calling for a ceasefire. A statement clearly superseded by the events of the past 24 hours.

Mr Albanese is right that as a small nation, Australia does not have the same defence assets in the Middle East as the US, a military superpower. We cannot be expected to play a comparable role in Israel’s active defence.

However even in that which we can reasonably be expected to do, Mr Albanese ducks and weaves.

Unlike the US, Australia has maintained diplomatic relations with Iran, even through the latter’s increasing hostility towards the West.

And yet, when asked if he had made any contact with Ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi since Iran’s strikes overnight, Mr Albanese’s response was a single word. “No”.

With friends like these.