QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
Senator FARUQI (New South Wales—Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens) (16:18): I move: That the Senate take note of the answer given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs (Senator Wong) to a question without notice I asked today relating to Australian-Israeli relations. What a horrifying performance we saw from the Israeli ambassador today outside this very building, with no apology for the family of Zomi Frankcom and gaslighting us into believing that the humanitarian aid workers of the World Central Kitchen were somehow responsible for their own deaths.
This is an ambassador who continually conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism—a man who engages in genocidal denial, a man who denies anyone was harmed when Israel kidnapped and sexually assaulted Australians attempting to deliver aid to Gaza. Let's not forget who ran the investigation that found it innocent. The Israeli military investigates itself.
The war criminals are responsible for deciding if they should be found guilty of war crimes. What a complete and utter farce! Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din revealed that less than one per cent of complaints against soldiers in the West Bank lead to charges.
They state that the rarity of punishments translated into IDF soldiers being able to act with impunity, and that is exactly what we have seen here. This was not an accident; it was murder to send a message that no aid to the Palestinians would be tolerated. How else can we explain nearly 200 aid workers killed by Israel just in 2025?
It is no wonder that the June 2026 Pew Research Centre Global Attitudes Survey found that 79 per cent of Australians hold an unfavourable view of Israel. Only 19 per cent expressed a favourable opinion. Here's the thing: I don't expect any different from the Israeli government.
The Israeli ambassador's entire job is to defend the genocide of Palestinian people. What makes me angry is that the Australian government lets them get away with it every single time. At every turn, they have acted more decisively to shut down, ridicule and attack those that seek justice for the victims of Israel rather than take any action against Israel.
I am really sick of your outrage, Senator Wong. I am sick of your meetings, your press releases and your empty, meaningless words. I'm not sure if it is incompetence or indifference that has driven this government's complete lack of action on this issue that has got us to where we are today.
Minister, you have called the timing of the decision, on World Humanitarian Day, especially insulting. Yes, it is. It is humiliating.
But come on, minister. This is a message from Israel. The message is: 'We will do whatever we want, we will kill whoever we want, and there is not a single thing that you can do about it.' Today has shown that they are right.
Today has shown this weak government will do nothing to protect its citizens. Question agreed to.