Shorten’s support ‘unwavering’
Mike Kelly, a former ALP minister, described him as "a true friend of the community and a true friend of Israel".
Lauded as a warm supporter of the Jewish community and Israel, the departure of cabinet minister and ex-Labor leader Bill Shorten at the next election has been described as “the end of an era”.
In the 2000s, Shorten served as national secretary of the Australian Workers Union, known for its solidarity with Israeli trade unions.
Entering Parliament in 2007 with the Rudd government, Shorten promoted the switch to Julia Gillard in 2010 but backed reinstating Rudd ahead of the 2013 election, which saw the Coalition returned. He beat Anthony Albanese to the leadership but took Labor to defeat against the Morrison government in 2019.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim described Shorten as “a good friend to the Australian Jewish community and Israel and a champion for Labor’s traditional alignment with democracy … His departure highlights the challenges that federal Labor faces to maintain itself as a credible centre-left party”.
Stating it’s “the end of an era for Australian politics”, Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) president Jeremy Leibler described Shorten as “a steadfast and dedicated supporter of the State of Israel” who made multiple visits to Israel.
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein paid tribute to his “warm friendship with the Jewish community and strong support for Israel … It was especially important to have that voice inside the ALP”.
Noting Shorten attended a Labor Friends of Israel event in July, co-convenor Mike Kelly, a former ALP minister, described him as “a true friend of the community and a true friend of Israel”, adding that since the Israel-Hamas war began, “it’s been very difficult for there to be a fully informed and rational debate … within the Labor caucus … It’s very distressing.”
Former Melbourne Ports Labor MP Michael Danby, in Parliament with Shorten for 12 years, was emphatic. “Because Labor’s generally left-wing membership have a deciding say, a genuinely moderate Labor leader will not win power … Never again will someone in the pro-Israel tradition of Bob Hawke or Kim Beazley or Shorten become national Labor leader.” Shorten, “with his deep knowledge of history, was instinctively friendly with Jews in Australia”.
Addressing a ZFA conference in 2014, Shorten said BDS “has no place in our universities”. He opposed relaxing sanctions on Iran then in place, noting the Islamic Republic “advocates the destruction of Israel, supporting Hezbollah and Hamas with sophisticated weapons and training”. He said Israel “embraces science … is not afraid of failure … is focused on the future”.
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