Outpouring of heartbreak and anger
In Australia, where the Bibas family has relatives, there was no official statement from the Albanese government condemning the barbaric murders of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir.
Australian Jewish leaders have expressed disappointment that Prime Minster Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minster Penny Wong did not condemn more forcefully the barbaric murder of the Bibas family by Hamas in Gaza.
Outrage and grief followed the confirmation last week that Israeli hostages Shiri Bibas (32) and her children Ariel (4) and Kfir Bibas (10 months) were murdered in captivity after being kidnapped from their home on October 7, 2023.
Word leaders including from the US, UK, France and Canada condemned their deaths and the cruel way in which their remains were returned to Israel, with locked coffins and initially returning the wrong body for Shiri.
Argentine President Javier Milei declared two days of national mourning as the Bibas family were also Argentinian, and monuments in Buenos Aires and around the world were lit up in orange in tribute to Ariel and Kfir who had red hair.
But in Australia, where the Bibas family has relatives, there was no official statement from the government.
Albanese commented last Friday when asked about it by journalist Samantha Maiden, “Hamas are a terrorist organisation that are engaged in a range of activity, not of course beginning on October 7 but well before then. They are engaged in activity that is shocking, that is worthy of condemnation; which is why they should have no role in the future.”
When Maiden interjected, “But on a human level, to see that footage and the spectacle they put on, what was your reaction?” Albanese replied he hadn’t seen it.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, when asked in an ABC interview if she was concerned over how the coffins were returned to Israel, did reply, “I condemn unequivocally the way in which Hamas dealt with this.
“It was a sickening and cruel way to deal with the return of these two young children, the bodies of two young children.”
But she did not comment on the way they were murdered.
Following a request for comment, Wong told The AJN on Monday, “I condemn Hamas unequivocally for the killings of Shiri Bibas and her children, which is yet more evidence of the vile brutality of the terrorist group. I have made clear that the manner in which the family was returned to Israel was sickening and cruel.
“We want to see hostages released, and they deserve to be released with dignity. Australia supports the ceasefire and hostage agreement. We call on all parties to respect its terms and implement it in full.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein was critical of the government’s response.
“While other countries released strong statements of condemnation, and even orange-themed commemorations, our Foreign Minister needed to be prompted to even make a statement. And even more disappointingly, our Prime Minister seemed insufficiently interested to even inform himself of the situation in a timely manner,” he said.
“We hope the government improves its performance in what will no doubt be tough days ahead, and takes the way Hamas’s conduct has revealed its true, barbaric nature into account in future pronouncements on the conflict.”
Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto said, “The Bibas children came to symbolise all our children … We encourage everyone, including our own parliamentarians, to speak out against the atrocities committed by Hamas and its supporters, and continue to advocate for the release of all remaining hostages.”
Opposition leader Peter Dutton remarked on Friday, “I just think this is a reminder to all Australians how barbaric Hamas is … they are evil to the core. All of those people who suggested that we should be negotiating with Hamas and we should be granting them statehood and nation status, realise how wrong they must have been, how wrong they obviously are.”
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