Australians of every ethnicity and political persuasion must now face up to the reality that this country is being governed by a hard-left, antisemitic cohort hell-bent on demonising Israel, rewarding terrorism and putting at risk the lives and peace of mind of Australian Jews and others who do not support Labor’s biased and sinister agenda.

If that sounds a tad extreme, it’s because it is. The news this week that the current Labor government has overturned decades of bipartisanship on Israel and decided, yet again, to take a position of what can only be described as enmity and hostility towards the Jewish state would no doubt have Labor legends of the calibre of Bob Hawke and Doc Evatt spinning in their graves. It is way past time that the likes of Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Bill Shorten and others, well regarded for their attitude towards Israel, spoke up, as only former Labor minister Michael Danby has had the courage to do, and condemn Labor antisemitism.

Tragically, the only way certain actions of this government can be viewed is as a reward to Hamas for the atrocities of 7 October, in which pro-Palestinian terrorists and Gazan citizens butchered, raped and kidnapped hundreds of innocent Jews, delighting in an orgy of barbaric savagery unparalleled in modern times. Yes, a reward. Because at every opportunity that has presented itself since 7 October, the Australian government has sided with the broad objectives of those responsible for the horrors of that day and sided against the views and interests of Jews here and in Israel.

These consistent slights include re-instating funding for Unrwa (eagerly urged on by the Teals), an organisation now clearly exposed for its links to terrorism and antisemitism; shrugging shoulders as unionists back Hamas; voicing support for the discredited International Criminal Court and its ludicrous arrest warrants issued against Israel’s Prime Minister and former defence minister; doing nothing serious about the rampant anti-Jewish hate marches on our streets and in our universities; then voting in the UN first to establish a state of Palestine against the wishes of Israel and the US and now seeking to grant Palestinian sovereignty over East Jerusalem, again against the interests of Jews. After Australia disgustingly blocked a former Israeli justice minister from visiting these shores, Israel’s foreign minister accused our government of pandering to ‘baseless blood libels spread by the pro-Palestinian lobby in Australia’.

How do these actions directly impact everyday Australians? Easy. If you reward terrorism, you encourage terrorism. If you reward Islamist hatred of Jews in the Middle East, you almost certainly guarantee pogroms against Jews in other lands. If you reward Islamist attacks on Jews, you pave the way for attacks on other ‘infidels’, Christians, Hindus, atheists and Buddhists alike. Constantly promoting the concept that Israel is a colonial occupier of ‘Palestine’ gives unbelievable succour to the enemies of the West. Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran have repeatedly declared their intention and desire to eradicate every Jew on Earth. Labor’s idea of a ‘two-state solution’ is idiotic and pernicious nonsense.

Moreover, multiculturalism can only ever hope to work if all cultures are granted equal protection and equal rights, and accept equal responsibilities. By repeatedly backing the political aspirations of the terrorists – to the extent that even Hamas have praised our Foreign Minister online for her actions – this government sends out a reckless, deadly message.

Meanwhile, our most important ally is heading in completely the opposite direction to Australia on nearly every issue of importance. Like a character in a Western, President-elect Donald Trump is the new sheriff in town – call him ‘the Floridian’ – even before having been sworn in. Sheriff Trump has already made plain his intention to eradicate Hamas, Hezbollah and other proxies of Iranian militancy. There will be ‘all hell to pay’, Mr Trump promises, if the Jewish hostages have not been released by the time he takes office. With the so-called ‘ceasefire’ with Hezbollah timed to expire only days after Mr Trump’s inauguration, it looks like the cavalry may yet arrive for those poor souls who, if they are still alive, have endured such horrors.

The contrast could not be starker. As Donald Trump prepares to destroy the terrorists of 7 October, Penny Wong, Anthony Albanese and their colleagues continue their flirtations with the vile ideology the enemies of Israel and the West espouse.

Kudos too to Peter Dutton for his consistent moral clarity on this issue and his forthright actions. Now more than ever, Australia needs to rid itself of this grotesque Labor government. The 2025 federal election cannot come soon enough.