Peris’ ordeal during Iran strikes on Israel

Former Labor Senator Nova Peris has recounted the “surreal” and terrifying experience of being in Israel during Iran’s massive missile attack, describing how she and fellow Australians spent the night in bomb shelters as 800 projectiles rained down on the country.

The Olympic Gold Medal winner, who was a Senator from 2013 to 2016, made the remarks in conversation with Sky News broadcaster Sharri Markson at an event co-hosted by JCA NSW and the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) on Sunday.

Peris, who was in Israel on an AIJAC study mission of Indigenous Australians and to receive an award from the Technion, said the scale of the Iranian assault created “unprecedented fear” among Israelis accustomed to rocket attacks but relying on the Iron Dome defence system.

“Because the Iran missiles were so large in volume, coming 50 or 100 at a time, some were coming through,” Peris said. “This was an unprecedented level of fear for Israelis.”

The former Olympic sprinter described how she and other Australians were forced to sleep in bomb shelters during the multi-day assault.

“There was one night where there were too many [sirens]. We slept in the bomb shelter. We just didn’t go out. We just took a pillow down, pillow, blanket,” she said.

The group, including Aboriginal leaders and an American Jewish couple, found themselves crammed into shelters designed for six to eight people, with the occupants communicating and sharing food with an adjacent shelter through a hole in the roof.

“As much as we can have a bit of humour, I’m not gonna lie, we were scared shitless,” Peris admitted.

Asked if the people she met in Israel approved of the operation to bomb Iranian nuclear targets and the United States getting involved, Peris said “one hundred per cent”.

“What we had also heard that this was 20 years in the making, to actually go ahead and execute this. The Islamic regime openly would say ‘we want to wipe Israel off the face of the earth’. They’ve openly said that, and we know that they’ve been feeding the proxies of Hezbollah and Hamas,” Peris said.

“So I think, you know, ultimately, when you look back, I just think the resilience of Jewish people is just unbelievable.”

Evacuation challenges

When it came time to leave Israel, Peris said officials initially offered a 12-hour boat ride to Cyprus that could only accommodate six people, or a gruelling 14-15 hour bus journey to Egypt, before settling on a border crossing into Jordan.

“I did contact [Senator] Deb O’Neill and with [Foreign Minister] Penny Wong, and I told her the list of Australians, because we had 25 young Jewish students that were over there that were fearing for their lives,” Peris said.

Security was provided once the group reached Jordan, and the Australian Ambassador to Jordan met the group at their hotel, “Which was also comforting,” Peris said.

“But for me, my out of all the things I went through, my anxiety was catching that plane that night from Jordan, because you’ve got Iran and Yemen, and we’re up the guts.”

Criticism of Indigenous anti-Israel activism

Peris had scathing criticism for Indigenous Australians who have aligned themselves with pro-Palestinian activism, describing them as “foolish, silly people”.

“These people are soulless, and they’re spiritless, and they don’t even know the history,” she said.

The former senator argued that Indigenous Australians should recognise Jews as the indigenous people of Israel, drawing parallels between Aboriginal connection to country and Jewish connection to the Holy Land.

“Everyone has a connection to land. We are identified by our language,” she said. “Jewish people speak Hebrew, and there’s evidence of that with the Dead Sea Scrolls, and no one else speaks Hebrew unless you’re a Jewish person.”

Peris said many Indigenous people privately support Israel but are “too scared to stick their head up” due to pressure from pro-Palestinian activists.

“If you are a Jewish person, you know that you are supported by Aboriginal people who understand land,” she said.

Journey to pro-Israel advocacy

Peris revealed her support for Israel developed gradually, beginning with her friendship with former treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who invited her to co-open an Aboriginal school in Melbourne.

The turning point came after the October 7 Hamas attacks, when Jewish friends reached out asking where their Aboriginal allies were.

“I said, let me get my head around all of this, because that’s one thing I learned in Parliament. If I didn’t have a fully informed opinion on something, I would never have an opinion,” she said.

Her research into Jewish and Indigenous Australians historically supporting one another – including figures like William Cooper and Ron Castan – convinced her to speak out.

“The Jewish people, they’ve done a shit tonne for us,” she said. “When I got it, and I think it was the first of December, I had an article on the front page all over the countryside, and then my email box almost exploded. [I] had like 5000 emails from Jewish people everywhere saying, ‘Thank you, thank you.'”

Government criticism

While stopping short of completely condemning the Albanese government, Peris expressed frustration with Labor’s approach to Israel, contrasting it with previous Labor leaders.

“I can’t look at it from any other way, from a political stance, and that is a sad argument,” she said, noting that 9000 Jewish Australians had fought for the country’s freedoms.

She praised individual Labor figures including Senator Deb O’Neill and Bill Shorten for their support, but said the party’s overall stance was disappointing.

Peris concluded by emphasising her ongoing commitment to supporting Israel and the Jewish community.

“You need to know that I’m not going anywhere,” she said.