Penny Wong on Israel, Palestinians and how Australians talk about the Middle East

In an exclusive interview with The Jewish Independent Editor-in-Chief DEBORAH STONE, the Minister for Foreign Affairs explained the Australian Government’s policies in the region.

Australia’s position as a friend of Israel will not be affected by the inclusion of far-Right parties in the new coalition government, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong told The Jewish Independent in a wide-ranging interview on the Labor Government’s policies in the Middle East.

Senator Wong said Australia would deal with whatever ministers were appointed “as appropriate”. She declined to comment on the inclusion of far-Right parties in the coalition or the likely appointments of controversial ultranationalists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to ministerial positions.

Senator Wong said the Government’s policy on Israel was based on the guiding principle of advancing the cause of a just and enduring peace negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians.

But she expressed concerns that even in Australia, debate between supporters of both sides was so polarised it was difficult to have reasonable discussion.

“One of my frustrations and sadnesses is that this issue is so vexed for so many people that we don’t even have a dialogue in Australia between supporters of both halves. I often think on the one hand we call for peace in the Middle East and negotiations within the parties, but we seem to not even be able to have reasonable [discussion] in the content and style here in Australia.

“What people say and how people feel and what they wish to do is obviously a choice for them. [But] my observation would be that in any process of seeking peace, at some point one has to move out of the binary - which is that one side has a monopoly on virtue and a monopoly on what is right, on truth - and recognise that there are different experiences, that there is legitimacy and suffering on both sides.