Analysing Penny Wong’s Statements on ‘Peace’ In Israel and Palestine

Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong is on her diplomatic trip to “support peace in the Middle East”, which included talks and meetings in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. If Australia’s stance and influence in the international community matters at all, Wong is the person who wields that influence. So, how did she represent us? When met with the decision-makers of war (including Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Affairs Minister Israel Katz), how did she use her time?

Unfortunately, we don’t know what was said behind closed doors. But we can analyse the public statements Wong has made to determine where the Australian government stands, on our behalf, after more than 75 years of oppression and 100 days of military bombardment on Gaza.

“A dire humanitarian crisis.”

Throughout her trip, Wong continually referred to the devastation on the ground in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis, including in public statements, speeches and at press conferences while in the Middle East.

While it’s not incorrect to refer to Gaza’s living conditions this way, it’s a deliberate choice to obscure the party responsible for rendering the region uninhabitable: Israel. I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect that Wong would use the words “genocide” or “apartheid” during her talks with the Israeli officials conducting those actions, but even the imperfect ‘war’ is not used in any of the public statements from this trip. 

What are the “steps towards a ceasefire”?

In the official statement released the day before Wong’s trip began, the purpose was laid out clearly: “[she] will use Australia’s voice to advocate for a pathway out of the current conflict… and working toward a lasting peace.” But based on the language Wong used while in Israel, I don’t think the government is serious about those intentions. 

While in Jordan, Wong called for “further humanitarian pauses” – as we’ve said before, asking for a pause still allows Israel’s military attack to continue. Slightly stronger language was used after meeting with Herzog and Katz in Israel, but Wong still does not ask Israel to stop bombing Gaza. Instead, she said Australia needs to see “steps towards a sustained ceasefire.” It’s not made clear what steps would satisfy the Australian government. 

By comparison, Wong has made public media statements on Russia that have made it explicitly clear what actions Australia needs to see. In July 2023, there was a direct call for “Russia to immediately withdraw from Ukraine” and in December 2023, a demand for Russia to “comply with its human rights obligations under international treaties… the immediate and unconditional release of Mr Kara-Murza [democracy activist] and all other detained political activists.”

If Wong won’t even say that Israel must stop the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza as a starting point, then we can’t take the government’s claim they are advocating for peace seriously. With apparently no consequences from this ally, there is no reason for Israel to take Australia seriously either. 

“Peace which meets Israel’s security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood.”

The message that Wong wants us (and the world) to understand as Australia’s position was communicated at two key meetings – the one with Israel’s Herzog and Katz, and another meeting with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki. Wong said: “We must continue to work for a just and enduring peace which meets Israel’s security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood.”

It relies entirely on the assumption that Israel’s security needs are reasonable. Just today, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they “must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River” – this would takeover all of Palestine’s (already significantly diminished) territory. We already know that the only level of ‘security’ that Israel is willing to accept is the complete elimination of Hamas… but also that they consider every hospital, school, residential building, refugee camp, and business a potential Hamas location, and therefore a safety threat to neutralise. As of 12 January, only 13 out of 36 hospitals are still functional in Gaza (some reports say it’s even less, with no functional hospitals in North Gaza at all).

Israel’s current security needs restrict the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank from travelling on certain roads and entering certain regions, keeping them disconnected from services, places of worship and each other.

It is obvious that Israel’s current security demands are not compatible with Palestinian statehood at all. Connecting the two makes Wong’s statement toothless and meaningless. 

The missing voice: Gazans

Wong met with both Israeli and Palestinian officials, some families of hostages taken on October 7, aid workers, and Palestinians living in the West Bank. But she was not able to hear from the most important voices of all: Gazans. She can’t enter Gaza – no one can. 

Because Wong has missed out on hearing the perspective of the most vulnerable people and seeing the nightmare reality they exist in, the trip is lopsided. So will be the outcomes. Here’s just one example: Wong met with Dr Elkayam-Levy, who is investigating allegations of sexual assault committed by members of Hamas on October 7. After this meeting, she stated that “Australia condemns Hamas’ use of sexual violence as a weapon to maximise terror and fear.” But similar credible claims of sexual violence committed by IDF soldiers against Palestinian political prisoners in the West Bank and evidence of did not seem to be on Wong’s agenda. There are almost certainly victims of the same in Gaza – who is able to advocate for them on this diplomatic trip?

This is a textbook characteristic of asymmetric warfare. On the surface it may look and sound even-handed, with the ‘hearing out’ of both sides. But a closer reading tells me Wong – and by extension, the Australian government – intends to continue allowing Israel to kill and forcibly remove Palestinians for the foreseeable future.