EDITORIAL: October 7 anniversary ceasefire calls an insult

What does it say about the state of politics in Australia that our parliamentarians are unable to come up with a set of words on which all can agree to condemn the atrocities of October 7?

What message does it send to Australia’s Jewish community that this moment of great mourning has been hijacked by political bickering?

What does it say to the many millions of Australians who are looking for leadership on this issue?

They won’t find it in Canberra. And nor will Australian Jews find there the support and solidarity they need and deserve.

It is both deeply sad and confounding that Australia is so divided politically that we cannot come together to decry the murder of 1200 innocents by a terrorist sect.

Anthony Albanese’s motion denouncing the attacks started strong — by condemning the loss of life and the violence that took place that day and after by Hamas militants, condemning anti-Semitism in all its forms and recognising Israel’s right to defend itself from attacks by Iran and its terrorist proxies, the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.

But the strength of those words was diluted by what came next.

A call to “break the cycle of violence” and “de-escalate for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon”.

A statement of support for a Palestinian state.

And a condemnation of “all acts of hatred, division or violence”.

Of course, all acts of hatred should be condemned. All loss of life should be mourned.

But this week of grief was not the moment to do it.

The motion as it was passed by Labor and the independents equated the actions of Israel in defence of its people with the actions of terrorist sects. It was an “all lives matter” motion.

As Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said, it was Mr Albanese “trying to speak out of both sides of his mouth”, to please all people.

In doing so, it has only further inflamed tensions.

This week marks a second grim anniversary.

October 12 will be 22 years since the radical Islamist cult Jemaah Islamiyah murdered 202 people, including 88 Australians, in twin suicide bombing attacks in Bali.

The stated motivation of those involved in planning that attack was “revenge” against the West for the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

There were no calls from our leaders in the months after that atrocity for “de-escalation”, and no appeals for “restraint” in the pursuit of its perpetrators.

That would have been seen rightly as a terrible insult to the victims and their families.

It also would have been useless. There can be no “de-escalation” against an enemy whose only goal is your annihilation.

Israel understands this. It’s why every aggression from Iran and its proxies is met by Israel with massive force. To protect its citizens, it has no other choice.

Australia understood this once too, when it was us in the firing line.