Australian news and politics live: Cash raises ‘serious’ concerns over Labor sanctions of Israeli ministers
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Key Events
Qantas announces shock closure of Jetstar Asia
Qantas will cop a $175 million blow to its bottom line after announcing the closure of its struggling Singapore-based Jetstar Asia.
But the ‘Flying Kangaroo’ says the strategic restructure will allow it to divert up to $500m in fleet capital into its more profitable core domestic and international services.
Jetstar Asia offers intra-Asia flights from Kuala Lumpur to locations including Colombo in Sri Lanka, Bali, Medan, Surabaya and Jakarta in Indonesia, Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi in Thailand, Haikou and Wuxi in China, Penang in Malaysia, Clark and Manila in the Philippines and Osaka Japan via a connecting flight through Manila.
“Jetstar Asia ... has faced growing challenges in recent years and the decision has been made, together with majority shareholder Westbrook Investments, to close the airline,” Qantas said on Wednesday.
Israel responds to sanctions
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has labelled the action by the UK to impost sanctions, which Australia also imposed, unacceptable and outrageous.
He and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide Israel’s response.
“It is outrageous that elected representatives and members of the government are subjected to these kind of measures,” Mr Sa’ar said.
He said the international political pressure on Israel sought “to bring about an end to the war without achieving its goals” and only hardened Hamas’ stance in hostage and ceasefire negotiations.
“Israel is a sovereign, independent, and proud state that is fighting a historic battle for its existence against a regional axis working to destroy it,” he said.
Mr Sa’ar also thanked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for being “a clear moral voice” and “a voice of a true friend” for his response to the sanctions.
Albanese says US response to sanctions is ‘predictable’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the US condemnation of Australia’s sanctions on two Israeli cabinet ministers as “predictable, frankly,” while emphasising that the measures were necessary.
“The message is very clear, that the actions that we’re seeing and some of the comments that have been made, by these two ministers… have incited violence against Palestinians in the West Bank,” Mr Albanese told ABC Radio Sydney on Wednesday
He added that Australia believes such rhetoric is a “serious impediment” to achieving a two-state solution, and that Canberra has repeatedly expressed its concerns directly to the Israeli government.
Responding to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s criticism of the sanctions, Albanese stated: “I think those responses are predictable, frankly, but we have engaged and put forward in a very clear and direct way to the Israeli government… we have continued to express our concern about humanitarian issues in Gaza.”
The Prime Minister reiterated that Australia “continued to declare that Israel has a right to live within secure borders. But we’ve also declared that Israel must comply with international concerns and international law.”
US condemns Australia over Israeli minister sanctions
The Trump Administration has strongly criticised Australia and its allies following the announcement of sanctions targeting two right-wing Israeli ministers, arguing the move undermines efforts for peace in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement, saying:
“The United States condemns the sanctions imposed by the governments of United Kingdom, Canada, Norway, New Zealand, and Australia on two sitting members of the Israeli cabinet.
“These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war.
“We reject any notion of equivalence: Hamas is a terrorist organisation that committed unspeakable atrocities, continues to hold innocent civilians hostage, and prevents the people of Gaza from living in peace.
“We remind our partners not to forget who the real enemy is.
Foreign Minister declines to say if PM has secured G7 meeting with Trump
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has sidestepped a question on whether the Prime Minister has yet locked in a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit this weekend.
“The Prime Minister’s program was a matter for him and I’m sure those announcements would be made in the usual way,” she told ABC RN Breakfast.
“But he I know the Prime Minister’s had three very constructive conversations with President Trump, and we look forward to engaging.
“We’re continuing to engage with the Trump administration, and I know the Prime Minister’s looking forward to the G7 on the matter of US tariffs.
Mr Albanese is expected to push the US President for an exemption from 50 per cent US trade tariffs on steel and aluminium and a baseline levy of ten per cent on all other goods.
Was United States given advance notice of sanctions on Israeli ministers?
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has acknowledged “differences of views” with the United States over the latest move to sanction two high-ranking Israeli ministers, but declined to say if Washington had been given advance notice.
“These sanctions do not advance US-led efforts to achieve a ceasefire, bring all hostages home, and end the war,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
“There are occasions on which in our alliance, we have had differences of views and differences of approach, but obviously there remains a great deal of strategic alignment across many domains in terms of how we deal with this diplomatically,” Senator Wong told the ABC.
“I won’t go into all the detail of that, but you would anticipate that we have engaged with others as appropriate.”
Wong: Sanctions move sends ‘clear message’ on Palestinian rights
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said Australia joined a sanctions move against two Israeli ministers to “send a very clear message” about the impingement of Palestinian rights in the West Bank.
Australia has joined Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom to issue travel bans and financial sanctions against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Speaking on ABC Radio National Breakfast, Senator Wong described the high-ranking officials as the “most extreme proponents of what we regard as an unlawful and violent settlement enterprise.”
“We have determined that it is important together to send a very clear message that these activities and the impingement on the rights and human rights of Palestinians in the West Bank are not acceptable,” she said.
Reiterating Australia’s position on Gaza, she repeated condemnation of Hamas for their terrorist activities and the “horrific events of October 7,” adding, “we have called and voted for the Israelis, Israeli Government to prevent aid unhindered, and we will continue to advocate for all of these things, including a ceasefire.”
Socceroos through to the 2026 World Cup
The Socceroos will head to a sixth consecutive World Cup after beating Saudi Arabia 2-1 to complete an incredible turnaround in qualifying.
After their upset 1-0 win over Japan, the Socceroos only needed to avoid defeat by less than five goals in their final game in Jeddah to seal automatic World Cup finals qualification for the first time in 12 years.
Saudi forward Abdulrahman Al-Aboud scored in the 19th minute at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium to make things tense.
But striker Mitch Duke teed up Connor Metcalfe to equalise in the 42nd minute, before putting Australia in front in the 48th.
Australia bans two Israeli ministers for inciting ‘extremist violence’
Australia has issued travel bans and financial sanctions against two high-ranking Israeli government ministers after accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the sanctions in a joint statement alongside her counterparts representing the governments of Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
“(National Security Minister) Itamar Ben-Gvir and (Finance Minister) Bezalel Smotrich have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights,” the joint statement said.
“Extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements is appalling and dangerous.
“These actions are not acceptable.”
Wong explains sanctions on Isareli ministers
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has addressed the nation’s decision to impose sanctions on two Israeli ministers for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The sanctions target National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
“We have not taken this decision lightly,” she told Sunrise on Wednesday.
“This is a decision we have made after a long process of deliberation and consideration, and that we are taking in conjunction with other partners, with the United Kingdom, with New Zealand, with Canada and, of course, with others.
“We’re doing that because we are all deeply concerned about the extremist settler enterprise of the Netanyahu government.
“Why are we concerned about that now? We are concerned about it because it is undermining the prospects of two states and ultimately we, along with those other countries and the broader international community, believe we can only see peace in the Middle East when we deal with two states and when both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.”
