Key facts
- Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, hopes for a return to "traditional friendship" between the two nations.
- Newman acknowledged strained relations but expressed goodwill to improve the bilateral relationship.
- Israel's foreign ministry recently criticized Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong's comments on settler violence.
- Australia has sanctioned Israeli politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for inciting violence against Palestinians.
- Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom was killed in an Israeli drone strike in April 2024.
- The Australian government is pressing Israel for justice for Zomi Frankcom and her colleagues.
Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, has expressed a desire for a return to "traditional friendship" between the two nations as the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks approaches. Newman acknowledged that relations have become "strained" but conveyed goodwill to foster positive change and potentially reset the relationship.
These comments come amid ongoing tensions, including public criticism from Israel's foreign ministry directed at Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong over her remarks on settler violence in the West Bank. Israel had previously intervened in Australian domestic politics, urging the Labor party to soften its stance on settler violence and a controversial death penalty law in its draft policy platform.
Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 people taken hostage, ties between the Israeli government and the Australian federal Labor government have significantly deteriorated. Australia has joined international efforts to sanction Israeli politicians Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, citing their role in inciting violence against Palestinians. However, Australia has not followed the UK and other allies in banning goods from illegal West Bank settlements.
Relations were further strained in April 2024 when Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom was killed in a humanitarian convoy struck by Israeli drones. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong have strongly condemned the Israeli Defense Forces' decision not to pursue criminal proceedings over Frankcom's death, with the Australian government continuing to press for justice for her and her colleagues.
Leaders from Australia's Palestinian community have called on the federal government to do more to support the diaspora affected by the war in Gaza. Nasser Mashni, president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, described the impact as a "relentless erosion of our place in this country." A UN commission has found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, a claim Israel denies. The Greens leader, David Shoebridge, condemned both the October 7 attacks and the "ongoing genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank."
Reflecting on the broader impact, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry noted "troubled, uncertain times," while shadow defence minister James Paterson stated that the October 7 attack had changed Australia in "terrible ways."