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In Brief
- Penny Wong has been asked to meet with an activist who alleges she was sexually assaulted by an Israeli soldier.
- The foreign minister said she has asked for a transparent investigation into the matter.
Australia has successfully facilitated the exit of 415 individuals from Gaza, a region under Israeli occupation. Meanwhile, the Australian government is pressing Israel to conduct a transparent investigation into reports of mistreatment faced by Australians involved in contentious aid missions.
The topic of Australia’s support for Palestinians, as well as for Australians present in the region, sparked several heated discussions during Senate estimates on Thursday.
In attendance at the parliamentary session were three women who had participated in international efforts to deliver medical aid to the annexed territory by sea.
These women, part of the flotilla intercepted by Israel’s defense forces, have reported experiencing sexual abuse and violence during their detention before their release. Their allegations have raised serious concerns.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed strong disapproval when Greens senator David Shoebridge inquired if she would consider meeting with the trio to hear their accounts of abuse firsthand.
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“I don’t respond to requests that are made in a political forum like this from a political party like yours,” she said.
In a later press conference, Shoebridge said Wong committed to meeting with the group.
Juliet Lamont, who alleges she was raped by an Israeli soldier, wanted Wong to speak about the experiences of the flotilla activists in a public setting, even if doing so involved highly personal details.
“Something as barbaric as this needs to be talked about at every single moment and ordinary Australians need to know what happened,” she said.
In estimates, Wong described the alleged mistreatment as horrific and unacceptable.
Pressed by senator David Pocock on whether she had advocated for an independent probe, the foreign minister said the government was “pressing for a swift and transparent investigation” following talks with her Israeli counterpart on the matter.
“We would want the most thorough investigation possible but we’re not the ones who are able to determine what that investigation is,” she said.
She objected to further questioning on the matter by Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, who asked the minister if she believed the women.
While Wong said she did, Faruqi wasn’t satisfied, interjecting that she had “done nothing to support these women” and was allowing “the criminals to investigate their own crimes”
The hearing was then shut down for lunch after the chair was unable to control proceedings.
Earlier in the full-day hearing, Shoebridge sought answers on whether the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) was failing to lodge the necessary paperwork to allow Australians to leave Gaza.
Wong accused Shoebridge of living in a non-factual “pretend universe” and “performing for social media”.
DFAT officials revealed that 415 Australian citizens, permanent residents or their immediate family had been supported to leave the war-ravaged region.
That involved a complex process including multiple Australian agencies, Israel and its occupying agency COGAT, and Jordan.
The Greens also asked why, when Australia had formally recognised Palestine as a state, it had not yet moved to accept the credentials of its ambassador, prompting a back-and-forth which also had to be cooled down by a morning tea break.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
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