Published: 23 January 2025
Last updated: 23 January 2025
I have visited Israel many times in my life, but last week I was present for an extraordinarily significant moment for Israel and the region.
After 15 months of war, hostages coming home. After 15 months of war, ceasefire.
After what began with the horrific atrocities on 7 October 2023, there is, finally, a glimmer of hope.
I saw and heard some deeply affecting things in Israel.
What happened on 7 October is visible everywhere – pictures of hostages greet you right from the arrivals terminal at Ben Gurion airport.
Walking through the streets of Kibbutz Be’eri where more than 130 people were murdered by Hamas is an experience that will never leave me.
I saw homes that were once full of life, streets and gardens that were peaceful, ripped apart on that day.
An Australian grandmother, Galit Carbone, was murdered in her home at the kibbutz that day. Danny Majzner, a survivor of the attack and Galit’s brother, generously shared his family’s story and hosted my visit.
At the Nova music festival Hamas murdered 340 people and took dozens of others hostage. Shalev Biton guided us around the site and shared his story with me. Shalev had returned from a working holiday in Australia just before going to the festival. He narrowly avoided death after escaping the music festival and running for kilometres, sheltered by the selfless actions of a nearby farm manager. Shalev’s story is one of horror and hope.
The stories of the many lives lost, hostages taken and desire for the conflict to end was repeated in my meetings with senior Israeli officials.
It was an honour to meet the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog. We reflected on our longstanding personal friendship which echoes the bonds of friendship between so many Israelis and Australians and our two great nations. I also had productive meetings with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice Yariv Levin.
Comments13
Jack Morris23 January at 11:38 pm
Dreyfus’s trip to Israel was nothing more than a pre-election stunt in a feeble attempt to rescue the Albanese government from defeat in the coming elections.
The damage has been done by Labor with its anti-Israel policies; it will take a change of government to repair the harm done.
Joseph Silver23 January at 11:32 pm
“Walking through the streets of Kibbutz Be’eri where more than 130 people were murdered by Hamas is an experience that will never leave me.”
Maybe you can tell Wong all about it on your visit to Auschwitz next week.
RAMON CAPEL23 January at 07:44 pm
What happened in Israel on October 7 is an act of barbarism for which Hamas is responsible. What happened afterwards in Gaza is a barbaric act of bombing a population confined to an area with no escape route, with the aim of reducing their numbers and forcing them to live far from their homes in inhumane conditions (according to statements by partners in the Netanyahu government). This is the responsibility of just one institution, the government of Israel, not of the Jews in general in Israel or of the Jews of Australia or Europe. Why should this blame fall on all Jews? Why should every Jew feel obliged to justify the acts of others or have to endure being asked to justify the acts of others?
Philippa Jacks23 January at 04:47 pm
“ We must unite against antisemitism, and indeed any form of racial hatred, not use it for partisan political point-scoring. Our Government remains committed to tackling antisemitism at home”…have you told your boss that????