Israel gives much needed lesson on political strength

Memorials held in Sydney to glorify terrorist group Hezbollah’s slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah, are living proof that weak political leadership at home has failed to cut through where it matters most. Just as politicians on the global stage, Foreign Minister Penny Wong included, have failed to grasp the reality that calling for a ceasefire and setting artificial deadlines for a twostate solution to the Palestinian conflict will only prolong the violence and suffering in the Middle East.

Senator Wong called on Tuesday for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, saying diplomacy must be prioritised. This contrasts with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who made it clear that the US supported Israel’s right to defend itself and the necessity of dismantling attack infrastructure along the border.

It is hard to disagree with columnist Gerard Baker that Israel’s bravery in dismantling Iran’s terror proxies will rank among the most important contributions to the defence of Western civilisation in the past three-quarters of a century. That Israel has acted against a sustained chorus for deescalation from other Western leaders underscores the post-historical fantasies of a diplomatic establishment that believes peace with Iran is just a couple of diplomatic meetings away. In reality, as Walter Russell Mead writes and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown, international life consists of hard and often bitter choices. This is a lesson that must be learned by local politicians and police who have shown themselves unable to front up to the reality of ethnic divisions and terrorist sympathies playing out under their noses.

Their default position has been to involve a faux moral equivalence where none exists.

It is reflected in the appointment of a special envoy to combat Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, following the appointment two months ago of former lawyer and business leader Jillian Segal as the nation’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism. Both may be worthwhile but government must deal with what is happening in plain sight.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke was at it again on Tuesday, dissembling in his inability to directly denounce the memorials held for Nasrallah. Mr Burke told ABC radio that from the Albanese government’s perspective and his own perspective, “When you think of the number of people out there who have been killed in this conflict, and the children who have been killed, the civilians who have been killed in Lebanon, through the attacks that have happened from the IDF in recent days, you look at the balance of, are we talking about numbers of terrorists versus numbers of civilians?”

Mr Burke’s comments reflect the same muddle-headed response by police to public demonstrations that included anti-Semitic chants and the brandishing of banned terrorist paraphernalia. Legal affairs contributor Chris Merritt was able to bring clarity to official and police confusion by explaining that the new federal law on terrorist symbols was outlined in section 80.2HA of the Criminal Code which, in some circumstances, imposed absolute liability. This means the prosecution is not required to prove intention, knowledge, recklessness, negligence or any other variety of fault element, significantly easing the burden on prosecutors and police.

Peter Dutton is correct to say the Albanese government “sowed the seeds” of hate when it “didn’t respond to violence” at protests at the foot of the Sydney Opera House after the October 7 terrorist attacks last year. With the first anniversary of the sickening raid on Israel by Hamas looming, the need for a firm stand from those in authority is more urgent than ever. It is made even more so by the start of what Israel has described as a “limited, localised and targeted” move into southern Lebanon in defiance of global pressure and the usual illogical demands for it to agree a ceasefire.

Leaders everywhere – including our own – have much to learn from the strength and resolve Mr Netanyahu is showing in dealing with the existential threat his country is confronting. For almost a year Mr Netanyahu has fought determinedly against demands for his resignation, as The Times of Israel founding editor David Horovitz, a frequent critic of the Israeli Prime Minister, wrote on Tuesday AEST.

Now, for the first time since October 7, “his grip on the prime ministership is secure”.

Mr Netanyahu’s strong leadership and defiance of world opinion have not only effectively decapitated Hezbollah but also have brought a surge in support for the way he has steered Israel since Hamas carried out its slaughter of 1200 Jews. In a major domestic political development amid the Hezbollah crisis, Mr Netanyahu’s position has been further strengthened in recent days by the inclusion in his war cabinet of a key former adversary, Gideon Sa’ar. The support of Mr Sa’ar will boost the government’s numbers in the Knesset and means there is unlikely to be another election before 2026. Mr Netanyahu’s trajectory from imminent political oblivion following the massacre a year ago to the current surge in the polls tells a story about Israel that the Jewish state’s allies and adversaries alike would be unwise to overlook. It is a formidable story of strength and what Israel and its people are all about.

Unfortunately, it is likely to be lost on too many weak-kneed, irresolute members of our own government. But the example set by Israel in defending democracy and our way of life is one that leaders in the West urgently must heed.