Israel’s ambassador to Australia has mounted a firm defence of his country’s contentious new death penalty laws that exclusively target Palestinian militants.
The laws make death by hanging the default punishment for those convicted of deadly attacks by Israel’s military courts, but critics say they will exclusively target West Bank Palestinians.
Earlier this week, Australia co-signed a statement alongside countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany, urging Israel not to pass the new laws and arguing they were “de facto discriminatory”.
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The passage of the laws was celebrated by far-right members of Israel’s parliament, including Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who campaigned for the legislation while wearing a pin in the shape of a noose.
Labor MPs put questions to Foreign Minister Penny Wong on the issue during a caucus meeting this morning, where Senator Wong said Australia stood by the concerns raised in the statement opposing the laws.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged against any further escalation in Israel’s operation in Lebanon. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
Israel already has the death penalty enshrined in law, but it has only been implemented twice since the 1970s.
During an address to the National Press Club in Canberra, Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman said the views of countries like Australia were always respected.
But he said differing geography meant countries like Australia may not fully “understand” Israel’s position.
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“Sometimes people … in different, faraway countries can’t also understand the threat. They can’t understand the situation,” he said.
“We’re in a difficult neighbourhood … we have neighbours who are bent on the destruction of the state of Israel, who are bent on terrorism.
“So there are elements that might be necessary in a country like that, which are not necessary in a country where your neighbours are New Zealand and Fiji.”
Dr Newman argued Israel was not obliged to apply the law equally to people who were not Israeli citizens and that the death penalty was required as an additional deterrent to would-be militants.
“We reached a situation where you have terrorists on your border, terrorists crossing the border, attacking communities, and the usual punishment is no deterrent,” he said.
“Because they believe … they get released in exchanges of prisoners.”
Lebanon invasion a ‘forward defensive position’
The ambassador was also questioned on Israel’s aims in its invasion of southern Lebanon and what objectives it needed to achieve before it would withdraw.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz last week declared the country intended to occupy southern Lebanon as part of its campaign against militant group Hezbollah.
The Australian government has previously expressed deep concern about an Israeli ground offensive within Lebanon, and Senator Wong spoke with her Israeli counterpart last week.
Israel and the United States teamed up to launch the attack on Iran. (Reuters: Ronen Zvulun)
Senator Wong this morning urged against any further escalation in Israel’s operation in Lebanon.
“Continued escalation, we would say, is not in Israel’s interests and certainly not in the interests of the civilian population of Lebanon,” she said.
Dr Newman told the press club the operations in Lebanon were necessary.
“The incursion into Lebanon is a self-defensive incursion in order to distance, as much as possible, the rockets from falling on the northern part of Israel, which endangers close to a million citizens of Israel,” he said.
But Dr Newman did not put a specific time frame on the operation, stating the actions in Lebanon would continue so long as Hezbollah had a presence there.
“The idea is to take up positions which will be defensive positions, we call them forward defensive positions, in order to prevent, as much as possible, the launching of rockets,” he said.
“If a day comes where we do not have Hezbollah operatives south of the Litani River launching rockets against the people of Israel, then of course Israel will not be there anymore.”
Earlier in his address, Dr Newman sought to explain Israel’s concerns and justifications for launching attacks on both Iran and southern Lebanon.
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He said Israel was working to ensure the oil shortages shaking global markets were short-lived.
“Efforts are being extended to make sure that the energy concerns are temporary and minimal,” he said.
“Diversifying energy sources, opening new channels of supply chains, and deterring future attacks.
“The ultimate remedy is removing the ultimate threat — Iran and its proxies.”
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