Politicians speak in federal parliament about Hamas atrocities

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

This was no act of war against the army of an enemy. It was the slaughter of innocent people. It was an act of terror—calculated, pitiless, brutality—compounded by a rain of rockets designed to kill and to terrify without mercy and without discrimination.

And Hamas celebrated. They wanted the world to see. They rejoiced in suffering and death.

This was not just an attack on Israel. This was an attack on Jewish people. Let us be clear: Hamas is an enemy, but not just of Israel. Hamas is an enemy of all peace-loving Palestinian people who are left to pay a devastating price for this terrorism. Hamas honours no faith. It serves no cause but terror.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton

No longer can the sympathisers of these murderous terrorists call them freedom fighters. No longer can the apologists of this death cult claim they have a just and noble cause. What occurred nine days ago was the embodiment of evil, and the abhorrent acts of Hamas’s inhumanity have been evident for the world to see.

Hamas’s invasion of Israel was unprovoked, it was unjust and it was absolutely unacceptable. And let us be under no misapprehension about Hamas’s intent from this point: it has no desire for a peaceful two-state solution. Its actions were designed to derail the peace process. Hamas wants to remove Israel from the map and drive people of Jewish faith into the sea.

Israel has every right to defend itself and its people.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles

At the heart of the relationship between Australia and Israel is the Australian Jewish community. Over the last nine days that community has been filled with a sense of deep anxiety about the safety and welfare of their family and their friends. We are with them in hoping that those people are alright. We weep for the more than 1400 innocent Israelis who have lost their lives. Our thoughts are with the thousands who have been injured, and we fervently pray for those who now find themselves in the unspeakable position of being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Hamas has completely undermined the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. Now we are watching Palestinians, in their innocence, die in significant numbers … For all of this, we condemn Hamas in the strongest possible terms.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong

The Senate must condemn these acts of evil perpetrated by a hateful group bent on the destruction of the state of Israel and the eradication of Jews. This was an attack on Israel and on the Jewish people, but it is also an attack on our collective humanity. We unequivocally condemn these attacks. We call for the immediate release of hostages. Australia stands with Israel and always will.

There is no justification for this attack, and, in the face of this attack, as ever, Israel has a right to defend itself, to re-establish its security, to prevent such attacks from taking place again.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud

The federal National Party condemns in the strongest possible terms this abhorrent terrorist attack by Hamas. Our party stands in unity and in solidarity with the nation of Israel and its people. We always have and we always will.

Israel has every right to defend itself against the appalling threats presented by an ISIS-like organisation like Hamas, which has no regard at all for human life.

As political leaders, all of us in this place must stand on the side of humanity over evil.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus

Make no mistake: this was not just an attack on the state of Israel and on the people of Israel. This was an attack on the Jewish people. Over thousands of years, the Jewish community—my community—has survived only because of our unbreakable spirit in the face of horrific prejudice.

Australia unambiguously supports the right of Israel to defend itself today. At the same time the Australian government will continue to support … a just and enduring two-state solution.

Hamas has never shared this aspiration. Hamas has always worked to undermine those who strive for peace, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian, because Hamas has no interest in making peace with Israel.

Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley

These sick acts of depravity have no place in our world. So today as a country and a parliament we unequivocally say two things: we stand with people of Jewish faith in this country and abroad, side by side, as you experience the most difficult period of your lives, and we stand against these acts of terror perpetrated by Hamas and support Israel taking the strongest possible action to ensure this can never happen again.

In the coming days and weeks I look forward to visiting more Jewish communities around the country. It’s important that they know their national leaders support them, are listening and will act.

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham

The attacks by Hamas against Israel just over a week ago were amongst the worst examples of terrorism in the modern age.

It was bloody and brutal murder, of more than 1,300 people, carried out with animalistic savagery that has no place in our world.

Australia, along with all like-minded nations, must support efforts by Israel to defend itself and its people against this and the risk of future atrocities. The coalition believes that through this motion the Australian parliament is telling the world, especially our Jewish friends here in Australia, that we stand with you and that we will support you in your moment of greatest need since the darkest days of World War II.

Member for Macnamara Josh Burns

My community is feeling the devastation of seeing their brothers and sisters being terrorised in the most graphic and gruesome fashion.

These attacks were barbaric, abhorrent and totally unjustifiable.

I dream of seeing peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I dream of two peoples living side by side, and that dream feels further away than ever. The true tragedy of Hamas’s terror is that it was specifically designed to further divide our two peoples and to fuel this conflict.

Member for Cook Scott Morrison

If there’s one thing I have learnt in my long association with the Jewish community, it is that they are a people of endurance, resilience and hope, even in the most awful circumstances, which they have experienced this past week.

I’m pleased to stand here in support of the people of Israel and the state of Israel. I condemn the barbaric, violent and unprovoked terrorist attack by Hamas.

As we stand in this place, appalled, aggrieved and with our hearts breaking, we should not be surprised by this barbarous violence from such a group. They should never have been given the leave pass of legitimacy that they experienced for so long from the international community. They should have always been condemned, and may they forever be condemned.

Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic

Like many people the world over, we’ve been aghast at what we saw in Israel on 7 October. It was an absolute abomination. Hamas must be, and is rightly being, condemned.

I also acknowledge that any government that is confronted with these acts within its own borders will respond. They have to respond.

I also think deeply about what will happen in Gaza, where two million people are crammed in. There’ll be a lot of innocent Palestinians who will pay a price for the actions of Hamas.

I restate this: Hamas must absolutely be held to account.

Member for Berowra Julian Leeser

Hamas attacks in Israel have reminded Jews across the world that in each generation we face those who seek to exterminate Jewish people from the face of the earth.

I never could have imagined a day when Jewish people in Sydney would be told by the police that the streets were not safe, nor indeed that the same police would arrest a man carrying an Israeli flag while giving an escort to the steps of the Opera House to antisemites celebrating the work of a listed terrorist organisation.

More broadly, we need a serious debate about antisemitism … the places where antisemitism is alive and well are on the many campuses of our country. Many refuse to define antisemitism and they think we’re making it up! It’s festering, and we saw it on the streets of Sydney.

Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie

We must call this premeditated attack, perhaps years in the planning, for what it is: absolute indescribable evil. And yet, incomprehensibly for the Jewish people, it was just yet another chapter in millennia of antisemitism.

Our commitment to supporting the State of Israel is deeply rooted in our principles of democracy, freedom and justice. We firmly believe in upholding the rule of law and the rights of sovereign nations to protect their citizens from harm. We defend Israel’s right to defend itself and its duty to protect its citizens.

Greens Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Jordon Steele-John

The compassion, honesty and commitment to peace and justice, demanded of us all in this moment, call on us to call out these acts as the acts of terrorism and the blatant war crimes that they are.

The very same commitment to compassion, to honesty, to peace and to justice required of us in response to the vile attacks of Hamas requires us to call out the war crimes being committed by the state of Israel right now in Gaza.

The Australian government must be honest with the Australian community about the fact that the state of Israel has been committing the crime of apartheid against Palestinian peoples for so many years now, and about the fact that the far-right Netanyahu government has expanded and entrenched the state of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, creating the conditions that have seen Hamas’ influence grow and a just peace so much more difficult to achieve.