In a conversation between Jewish MPs from both sides of politics, Labor MP Josh Burns and Liberal MP Julian Leeser shared their reflections on the anniversary of October 7 and the state of political debate as tensions escalate.
Speaking on ABC’s RN Breakfast, host Patricia Karvelas asked the pair to respond to claims from former treasurer Josh Frydenberg that Australia has “abandoned Israel”.
Leeser argued that Australia was “backsliding in its support for Israel”, while Burns said there was an “entirely appropriate debate to be had on foreign policy” but that October 7 wasn’t the day to engage in debate.
Here are the full responses from both MPs.
Julian Leeser:
I think this was occurring before the seventh of October. You know, before the last election, senior labor figures wrote in the Jewish press there’d be no difference between Labor and the Coalition on Israel.
It has been different, whether it’s the changing of the capital of Israel, whether it was votes at the United Nations, whether it’s been funding which has blood on its hands in relation seventh of October.
To Josh’s credit, even he’s been critical of some of the foreign policy decisions of the government in relation to calling for ceasefires and the premature recognition of a Palestinian state.
Australia has stood with Israel, and this has been bipartisan for many years, because Israel Is the Western liberal democracy in the Middle East, we must continue to stand with Western liberal democracies around the world who share our values.
That is the basis of our opposition, I think the way in which this government has been backsliding.”
Josh Burns:
I just want to take you back to the day, that today is October 7 and today is a day where there is immense pain going on right now, and today’s a day where we’re going to be marking the loss of innocent lives taken a year ago.
I think that there is entirely appropriate debate about foreign policy. I prefer not to do it today, to be honest.
I think it’s not the day to launch into partisanship. Josh is entitled to his case, and obviously so is Julian, but I think on today I’m just going to spend the day mark a year of the worst crimes I’ve ever witnessed, and I went to Israel, and I saw it for myself, and it’s still with me. So that’s what I’ll be focusing on today, and I might leave it for a robust foreign policy discussion, which is absolutely appropriate for another day.”
