Labor backbencher Ed Husic calls on Anthony Albanese to summon Israeli ambassador over Gaza

Sidelined Labor backbencher Ed Husic is leading a push to demand the Prime Minister summon Israel’s ambassador and prepare targeted sanctions over Gaza.

Federal MP Mr Husic and Labor Friends of Palestine co-convener Anthony D’Adam, a member of the NSW upper house, said Anthony Albanese’s language shift this week marked an important intervention but words now needed to be met with action.

Mr Albanese on Monday described Israel’s nearly three month blockade of food, medicine and assistance as an “outrage”, dismissing Israel’s “excuses and explanations” as “not credible”. He revealed he had made his views clear to President Isaac Herzog in Rome last week.

Mr Husic, who was relegated to the backbench in a brutal post-election factional jostle, described the PM’s strong remarks as a “very important intervention” but wants it to go further and follow in the footsteps of Canada, the UK and France who have all threatened “concrete action” unless Israel de-escalate their intensified offensive and allow unrestricted humanitarian assistance.

“The biggest thing that I would urge is — one, I think what the Prime Minister did yesterday was critically important. I think it was vital that he speak up with the strength that he did to call out the fact that the withholding of aid is completely unacceptable,” Mr Husic said.

“Two — I think the second thing that needs to actively occur is that we do consider those targeted sanctions so that we can work with our friends in the international community should the Netanyahu government fail to acknowledge broader global sentiment about this.”

He also called for the Government to summon the Israeli Ambassador.

“I think we should be calling in the Israeli ambassador to stress that Australia, as a member of the international community, expects that humanitarian aid, particularly medical supplies, be delivered, that we ramp up our aid as well,” he said.

Mr Husic has also called for the release of all hostages and for terrorist organisation Hamas to “be held to account”.

It’s understood the Government has not summoned ambassador Amir Maimon, in part because Mr Albanese spoke with President Herzog in Rome last week. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has also spoken to her counterpart Gideon Sa’ar in the last fortnight.

The Government does not speculate on or foreshadow future sanctions.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said Mr Husic was no stranger to “sharply and consistently” criticising Israel’s military response to October 7.

“It is easy to talk about sanctioning Israel and hauling in the Ambassador, even though Prime Minister Albanese confirmed he already raised the issue with Israel’s President Herzog. What is difficult is offering constructive alternatives that would see Hamas disarmed and defeated so that the people of Gaza and Israel can be free of its terror and despotism,” he said.

“Mr Husic should join us in calling for the immediate and unconditional surrender of Hamas to bring permanent relief to the people of Gaza.”

Mr D’Adam, a vocal pro-Palestine advocate said the PM had been emboldened to take a tougher stance.

He said the “obvious next step” was to move to sanctions.

“We’ve applied sanctions to Russia, and if we’re going to uphold international law, we should be applying the same logic applied to Russia in the circumstances of Israel,” he said.

“Disregarding international law, using starvation as a weapon of war, forced displacement that’s ample justification for us to take strong action.”

Meanwhile, Australia is engaging in preparations for a high-level international conference to progress a two-state solution.

To be co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia next month, the objective of the UN would be advancing concrete and timebound commitments to build a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.