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.
I made clear Australia supports Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism. I also restated our demand for the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas, our support for a ceasefire as endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, increased humanitarian access to Gaza and for international law to be upheld.
In Ramallah I discussed the ceasefire – which was a matter of hours away when I was there – and shared hope for a positive future with senior officials of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
We know that long-term peace in the region involves a pathway to Palestinian statehood. Reform to the Palestinian Authority is required and there must be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Gaza.
Australia’s focus right now is in supporting efforts to safeguard and build on the momentum of the ceasefire to achieve lasting peace.
After 15 months of war, the hope the ceasefire brings must also signal a turning point in the debate in Australia.
What I witnessed in Israel makes the seeking of partisan political advantage in Australia all the more grotesque.
Australia’s friendship with Israel has been deep and enduring, dating back to the founding of modern Israel when Doc Evatt helped introduce UN Resolution 181. That support continues from the Albanese Government.
It has been shocking to witness the very real distress amongst Jewish and Palestinian Australian communities used as a political plaything. It must end.
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.
I return to Australia with a sense of hope - hope for an end to antisemitism and hope for lasting peace in the Middle East.
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????
Jeff Loewenstein23 January at 09:58 am
Dreyfus (yes, one time board member of that appalling group AIJAC) shows his colours and details his actions very clearly. All sympathy for the Israelis and visitations to key Israeli personnel… and nary a word about the absolute tragedy inflicted (no other word for it!) on the Gazans – and on the Palestinians in the West Bank. As a lawyer he should know full-well – yet seeks not to do so – that the words (of Ministers and military personnel) and actions of Israel in Gaza are nothing other than genocide. No sweet talk and platitudes can alter that unquestionable fact!
Frances Danon23 January at 09:52 am
Hamas does not care what you think .Listen to the Arab Moslem pro Israelis if you can’t hear the Israelis .Hamas wants all Jews Dead. They don’t need your agreements and they want the PA dead also from the killings in the west bank now znd after their election in Gaza,. Terror loves terrorising and killing . The people sho still don’t realizd this have led too comfortable lives to know reality …it’s nothing to do with fairness or land or a thriving middle east .it’s about top dog and subordinates
NICOLE STEIN23 January at 09:14 am
Shame on Mark Dreyfus for not speaking up for the Jews of Australia and Israel before now. It is cowardice. I used to be a Labor supporter all my life but have turned hard right now. We as Jews I see will not be protected by the left. It is clear now.
Ian Grinblat23 January at 08:18 am
The visit of Mark Dreyfus to Israel tells me why antisemitism is now a hot-button issue – our PM believes that antisemitism is a Jewish problem. Until he – and all our politicians – understand that antisemitism like all social pathologies is a national issue, our nation will be atomised.
The strained relationship between Australia and Israel was always a problem requiring the personal and official attention of our Foreign Minister – it was poor form to hand pass it to Mark Dreyfus and pathetically transparent to give the job to a Jew.
Ian Grinblat23 January at 08:08 am
To Kim Lester.
Kim,
Your proposal that a solution be imposed until sufficient Palestinians realise that that can live alongside Israel seems unrealistic to me – many of the terrorists who perpetrated such evil on 7 October 2023 crossed the border everyday to work in Israel. They knew the Israeli families and the houses they lived in. Almost every victim of the massacre that day was committed to peace and coexistence. My second point is that Germany and Japan were demilitarised and de-Nazified by means of a very long postwar occupation. Israel hasn’t the manpower to run such an occupation an the EU far prefers to lecture Israel as an occupier than to help.
Miriam Feldheim23 January at 08:05 am
Yafa and Eva, don’t you realise the Israeli government is pursuing a policy of making the whole area Jewish and eliminating the Palestinians. One is as bad as the other.
Yafa Goldschmidt23 January at 06:50 am
@markdreyfus must be living in lalaland to actually believe there can be a state full of Arab terrorists next to Israel. Does he not comprehend they do not want their own state they want it all- to wipe out any Jews in Israel. No polished garbled words he can put together can change the DNA of the population indoctrinated with hate for 77 yrs
Kim Lester23 January at 01:03 am
To Eva Gross.
Without a two state solution then where should Palestinians live?
There will be rules in an internationally agreed two state solution and if Palestine break the rules then the Israels response will have greater moral right.
I agree that the dictatorship that rules Palestinian life will never agree to Israels right to exist but an international agreement that forces Palestininians to a deal may show Palestinians over time they can have peace with their Israel neighbours .
If not then it shouldn’t be left to Israel to deal with Palestinian fascism alone.
Eva Gross22 January at 10:26 pm
Empty words from this career politician without principles. You have to be deaf, dumb and blind if you do not understand and accept that the Arabs in Gaza and the West Bank and surrounds DO NOT WANT A 2-STATE SOLUTION. THEY WANT A 1-STATE SOLUTION WITH ISRAEL AND ALL ISRAELIS WIPED OUT