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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is being pressured to visit Israel as Australia strengthens its language against the Middle Eastern nation for blocking aid into Gaza.
Albanese was publicly invited to visit Israel by President Isaac Herzog after he criticised a blockade of food and medical supplies into Gaza.
The new Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said Albanese should take up the invitation and travel as soon as possible, when there were no domestic issues like the NSW flood recovery.
Has Australia criticised Israel?
Australia has joined a growing chorus of nations strengthening rhetoric against Israel as the death toll in Gaza eclipses 54,000, according to the local health authority.
More than two million people face starvation with a lack of basic supplies, and the strip largely reduced to rubble following the nearly 20-month-long war.
Aid was stopped to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages after a ceasefire broke down earlier this year.
Albanese criticized Israel’s blockade, labeling it as unacceptable, and dismissed the justification for hindering aid as “completely indefensible and lacking credibility”.
What did Michaelia Cash say?
“Australia and Israel have always had a very strong relationship, which has deteriorated significantly under the Albanese government since Hamas’s terrorist attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023,” Cash told AAP.
“This is a good opportunity for the prime minister to reset the relationship.”
Cash plans to hold a meeting with Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon in the coming week.
Federal Labor president and former treasurer Wayne Swan said he was sure Albanese would consider Herzog’s invitation.
“But you know, the behaviour of Israel at the moment is pretty outrageous when it comes to the blockage of aid into Gaza,” he told Nine’s Today Show on Friday.
“Now, of course, we’ve got additional settlements going into the West Bank, so the behaviour of the Israeli government is pretty provocative at the moment.
“But I’m sure the prime minister will do everything he can constructively to work with all those involved for a swift end to this conflict.”
International action and ceasefire hope
Canada, France and the UK have warned of “further concrete action” if Israel doesn’t halt its military campaign and lift aid restrictions.
A ceasefire deal brokered by the White House and signed off by Israel has renewed hope.
The proposal hasn’t been fully detailed publicly and has been submitted to Hamas.
It comes ahead of a major international summit, which will debate Palestinian statehood in New York in June.
Australia hasn’t confirmed who it will send as a representative.
Israel has criticised any push for Palestinian statehood as rewarding Hamas’ terrorism, a point that has been reiterated by some Jewish groups in Australia as well as the Opposition.
