Shadow Minister Claims Australia-Israel Relations Hit "All-Time Low" Due to Government Incompetence
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Shadow Home Affairs Minister Andrew Hastie declared Thursday that Australia-Israel relations have reached an "all-time low" due to what he described as "Albanese foreign policy incompetence," while criticizing the government's inconsistent application of visa standards.
Hastie told ABC Radio National Breakfast that the government's handling of diplomatic relations had severely damaged the bilateral relationship, citing both the recognition of a Palestinian state and recent visa cancellations as contributing factors.
"I think the important thing to note is that the relationship with Israel now is at an all-time low. And that's largely because of the Albanese foreign policy incompetence from this government," Hastie said during the morning interview from Karratha.
The Shadow Minister's comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, reportedly sending a formal letter accusing the Australian leader of "appeasement and pouring fuel on anti-Semitism."
Visa Decision Criticism
Hastie strongly criticized Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's decision to cancel the visa of Israeli Knesset member Simha Rothman, arguing the decision would have diplomatic consequences that the government failed to anticipate.
"I think it's a decision that will have consequences, which we've already seen from Prime Minister Netanyahu with his tweet and also his letter in the last 24 hours," Hastie said.
The Shadow Minister argued that elected parliamentarians from democratic nations should be granted entry regardless of personal disagreements with their views.
"Look, I think he's a member of the Israeli parliament. Israel is the only democracy really functioning in the Middle East right now," Hastie said when asked whether Rothman should have been granted a visa.
Diplomatic Precedent Cited
Hastie drew on his own parliamentary experience to defend engagement with controversial foreign officials, citing a 2016 meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister.
"I remember back in 2016 meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister as part of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Did I agree with the Iranian Foreign Minister at the time? No, I didn't. But it was an important conversation that we had with that person," Hastie said.
He argued the government had "failed to recognise what this cancellation would mean" beyond routine visa decisions.
"This wasn't just any old visa," Hastie emphasized.
Inconsistent Standards Alleged
The Shadow Minister accused Burke of applying visa standards inconsistently, citing several examples of controversial figures who had received Australian visas under the current government.
"Tony Burke has been very inconsistent with his application of his standards. Last year, for example, he issued a visa for Sami Hamdi, who supported October 7th, Mr Mohammed Ghuloum, who supported Hezbollah," Hastie said.
He referenced a recent case involving a Gaza woman as further evidence of inconsistent decision-making.
"And then only in the last two weeks, we saw this visa get through for a woman from Gaza, Mona Zahed, who had expressed support for the attacks on October 7th. So it's a pretty inconsistent standard that he's applying here," Hastie said.
The Shadow Minister claimed Burke's inconsistency had exposed the government to criticism.
"And because it's been so inconsistent, he's been caught out. This is Mr Burke. He's been caught out. And now the Israel relationship has dropped even further," Hastie said.
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Social Cohesion Concerns Addressed
When questioned about inflammatory comments attributed to Rothman, including describing Palestinian children as "enemies," Hastie acknowledged disagreeing with such views while maintaining his position on visa decisions.
"Obviously those views I don't support. But the bigger point that I'm making here is that Tony Burke has applied this standard very inconsistently," Hastie said.
He characterized Burke's approach as politically motivated rather than principled.
"He seems to be all over the place. It's a very unstable standard that Mr. Burke is applying. And this is because he's shifting with the political winds," Hastie said.
The Shadow Minister called for greater consistency in visa decision-making while acknowledging the challenges involved.
"Look, these are tough decisions. I don't disagree," Hastie said. "And what we'd like to see is more consistency."
Coalition Position Defended
Hastie rejected suggestions the coalition had been inconsistent in its criticism of visa decisions, citing previous cases involving controversial figures like Kanye West and Candace Owens.
"I think what we've always said as a coalition is we want a consistent application of the standard. And I think under this government it's been quite unstable and it's been shaped largely by political considerations, domestic political considerations," Hastie said.
He distinguished between elected government officials and other controversial figures, arguing different standards should apply.
"I think when you're dealing with important allies, not just in the Middle East but across the world, and including people you don't agree with but who are official members of the government, you've got to be prepared to show some leeway there," Hastie said.
Foreign Policy Critique
Hastie linked the diplomatic deterioration to broader foreign policy decisions, particularly the government's approach to Palestinian statehood recognition.
"Number one, pushing for a two-state solution, which I think empowers and emboldens Hamas before we've seen the end of the war in Gaza has been very, very counterproductive to the relationship," Hastie said.
He argued the timing of Australia's recognition had damaged diplomatic relations unnecessarily.
"I think comparing members of the Knesset effectively with, you know, people who support terror or terrorism, I think is not good for our relationship with Israel," Hastie said.
Repair Strategy Suggested
When asked about steps to improve the relationship, Hastie suggested direct diplomatic engagement while carefully navigating his criticism of Netanyahu's comments about Albanese.
"I think Mr Albanese needs to pick up the phone to Benjamin Netanyahu. I think having a public spat is..." Hastie began, before being reminded of previous direct contact between the leaders.
The Shadow Minister clarified his position on supporting Australian leadership while criticizing government diplomacy.
"I said, as an Australian, I will always back my own government in some sort of dispute with another country. The point that we're making here is that the Prime Minister has allowed the relationship to really get into a bad place," Hastie said.
Diplomatic Responsibility
Hastie emphasized the government's responsibility for the current state of relations while avoiding direct endorsement of Netanyahu's personal attacks on Albanese.
"I'm not going to lean into Mr Netanyahu's comments and pick a side here. I'm simply making the case that the relationship shouldn't be in the current state that it is," Hastie said.
He characterized the diplomatic breakdown as reflecting poorly on the government's capabilities.
"And I think that's very poor diplomacy on their part. It's a reflection on the Labor government. And I think they need to do some work to repair it," Hastie said.
Israel Relationship Importance
Despite his criticism of specific Israeli political figures, Hastie emphasized the strategic importance of maintaining strong bilateral relations with Israel.
"Israel, regardless of its faults, and it has faults, of course, no country is perfect, including ours. But it is an important relationship that we have with Israel," Hastie said.
He argued the relationship's current state demonstrated broader foreign policy failures.
"And it's been mishandled so badly now that we have Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu coming out and making some very strong comments about Anthony Albanese. And I think that tells you everything you need to know about where this government has taken the relationship," Hastie said.
The diplomatic crisis continues to escalate, with both sides maintaining their positions on visa decisions and Palestinian statehood recognition while facing pressure to restore traditional cooperation on security and trade matters.
Hastie's intervention represents the most comprehensive opposition critique of the government's Israel policy since the diplomatic breakdown began, establishing clear alternative approaches the coalition would pursue if returned to government.
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