October 7 anniversary marked in Federal Parliament

Federal Parliament observed the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks on Tuesday with relatively bipartisan statements from political leaders.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament the October 7, 2023 attacks were “a day of pain and terror for Jewish people around the world” and stressed “we must never forget the atrocities that were inflicted by Hamas”.

“Two years on, we remember all those who were lost on that day, the largest loss of Jewish life on any single day since the Holocaust. Over 1200 innocent lives ruthlessly taken without mercy,” he said.

Albanese specifically remembered Australian victim Galit Carbone and called for the immediate release of hostages still held by Hamas.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley described October 7 as “one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in modern history” that changed the world.

“To our great shame, there are people today in this country seeking to hold protests this week. We cannot and should not allow the Sydney Opera House to be used as a backdrop to hate,” she said.

Ley told those behind the protests to stop.

“Seeking to use October 7 to advance your political agenda is abhorrent and un-Australian,” she said.

Former Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who visited Kibbutz Be’eri and met with Danny Majzner, brother of Galit Carbone, said the attacks “were not acts of war – they were terrorist atrocities. And they must never be forgotten.”

Dreyfus condemned the rise of antisemitic violence in Australia following October 7, saying that the hate and vitriol are utterly unacceptable.

“Every Australian has the right to protest, but no one has the right to protest wherever they please, at the expense of the safety and freedom of others,” he said.

“We must restore the balance between freedom of expression and freedom of movement, ensuring that the right to protest never becomes the right to intimidate and inflame tensions in our community.”

Shadow Attorney-General Julian Leeser accused the Albanese government of not doing enough to combat antisemitism.

“The Foreign Minister’s conduct abroad has left thousands of Jewish Australians appalled, breaking decades of bipartisan foreign policy,” he said.

“Labor took months to appoint the special envoy on antisemitism and then ignored her advice on crucial matters.”

Leeser said the special envoy delivered a comprehensive report months ago, yet “there has been no response, no plan, no decisive action to keep law-abiding Australians of every background safe”.

There was also a special event at Parliament House on Tuesday at which Majzner, an Australian-born Israeli and survivor of the massacre at Kibbutz Be’eri, spoke.

It was organised by the Australian-Israel Allies Caucus (AIAC) in partnership with the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) .

Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said, “Two years on, Danny’s powerful testimony reminds us of the terrible human cost of terrorism and the importance of standing with our allies in the face of violence and hatred.”