PM defends Wong’s call to skip October 7 sites

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Penny Wong’s decision not to visit any of the sites in southern Israel attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7 as the foreign minister faced a barrage of criticism from the political right and left as she departed on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East.

Albanese and Wong condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank as Labor MPs led by Julian Hill called for the government to take a hard line against extremist settlers by issuing travel bans and considering barring Australians from supporting settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories.

While the Greens and pro-Palestinian advocates demanded Wong forcefully insist upon a ceasefire during her trip, the Coalition and Israel supporters condemned the government for not backing Israel’s defence against genocide charges in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the way it is conducting the war in Gaza.

Wong, who arrived in Jordan last night, will meet with Israeli families of hostages taken to Gaza and survivors of the October 7 attacks, as well as Palestinian communities affected by Israeli settler violence.

But Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executives Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin said the decision not to travel to the southern Israeli kibbutzim targeted by Hamas was insulting and deeply concerning. ‘‘Intentionally bypassing such a visit is a serious error of judgment and we hope the foreign minister reconsiders this decision.’’

Albanese said he was surprised by the criticism of Wong’s decision not to visit the homes of those attacked on October 7, arguing that her visit was ‘‘not about an opportunity for a photo op’’.

‘‘She’ll be talking first-hand with the people who’ve been impacted, both the survivors of that attack but also the families,’’ he told ABC radio.

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said: ‘‘A visit to ground zero of the worst antisemitic attack since the Holocaust would have been an important show of solidarity with Israel and Jewish Australians.’’

He also noted the US, Britain, Canada and Germany had backed Israel against South Africa’s charge it was committing genocide in Gaza, while the Australian government had not outlined a position.

‘‘By remaining silent on the ICJ case, and now refusing to visit the sites of the Hamas massacre, Australia is sending the wrong message,’’ he said.

While foreign dignitaries such as British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, top European Union diplomat Josep Borrell and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier have visited kibbutzim targeted by Hamas, the Canadian and Japanese foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken did not do so during their trips to Israel.

Wong’s office has told the Israeli government she did not believe she would have time on her tight schedule for a kibbutz tour during the trip, which will include meetings with Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and other senior politicians.

Describing the itinerary for Wong’s trip as ‘‘half-hearted’’, opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said: ‘‘The failure to visit any of the sites of the October 7 Hamas attacks will disappoint many and deprive Senator Wong of a full appreciation of the atrocities committed.’’

Citing figures from the Hamasrun Gaza Ministry of Health that 24,000 Palestinians had been killed since the war began, Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi said on social media ‘‘even as Penny Wong travels to the Middle East today, the minister still refuses to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire’’.

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni said it was ‘‘profoundly concerning that the foreign minister has framed her visit to the Middle East around continuing to reiterate her support for Israel’s right to defend itself’’. He urged her to go further than ‘‘merely expressing meek objections’’ to Israel’s bombing campaign.