‘We must stand with Israel’ Former PM in Holy Land
After signing a letter last week expressing support, Scott Morrison is the only Australian MP so far to visit Israel since the Hamas attack.
Former prime minister Scott Morrison and former British prime minister Boris Johnson arrived in Israel this week as a signal of solidarity with the Jewish state.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to join former UK prime minister Boris Johnson as the guest of Danny Danon from the Knesset and former Israeli ambassador to the UN, to come to Israel as a demonstration of solidarity with the people and State of Israel and the Jewish community throughout the world,” Morrison wrote on social media.
“It is an opportunity to understand firsthand what is occurring on the ground, honour those who have been lost, show support to those who have suffered and are now engaged in this terrible conflict and discuss how to move forward.”
Morrison is the only Australian MP to visit Israel since the Hamas attack on Saturday, October 7.
After a tour of Kibbutz Kfar Aza on Sunday, where 100 residents were slaughtered by Hamas and others kidnapped and taken hostage, Morrison said, “You can’t help but be overwhelmed by what we’re standing on; a place of innocence desecrated beyond comprehension.”
Morrison also urged the Albanese government to remain unified in its support for Israel.
“The government has a position, the ministers should be supporting that position. There can’t be any ambiguity about this,” he told The Australian. “We must stand with Israel to make sure that they can now do what they need to do, and do it in the way that they’re trained to do it.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein applauded Morrison’s visit.
“Mr Morrison has shown principled leadership and moral clarity that is truly valued by the Jewish community,” he said.
“Mr Morrison’s unequivocal condemnation of antisemitism is also a timely and much-needed welcome intervention.
“As unsettling as the visit would be, we deeply appreciated Mr Morrison’s visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz to view personally where Hamas terrorists went on a bloody, barbaric rampage and savagely slaughtered and murdered local civilians, including babies, children and the elderly.”
Morrison last week was one of six former Australian PMs to sign a letter expressing support for Israel and Australia’s Jewish community, and condemning Hamas.
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