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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers a statement following a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Friday. Credit: Bay Ismoyo/AFP
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese delivers a statement following a meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Friday. Credit: Bay Ismoyo/AFP
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese defended the decision to invite Israel’s President Isaac Herzog to Australia, saying, “When the Jewish community asked for their head of state to visit, I think it is appropriate that people be allowed to mourn.”
“This visit is an important opportunity for President Herzog to stand with Jewish Australians and remember those innocent lives lost on December 14th,” he told Hobart’s Triple M radio.
In response to mass protests that took place in major cities across the country on Monday, Albanese said, “I think that Australians want two things, they don’t want conflict brought here, they want killing to stop, whether it’s Israelis or Palestinians.”
He added that he was “devastated” by the scenes of protesters and police clashing on the streets of Sydney. “People should be able to express their views peacefully,” but that police had been clear about requirements for the protest.