Wednesday, 13 August 2025

Community safety

David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (18:56): (1835) My matter is for the attention of the Minister for Multicultural Affairs but is also of great interest to the Premier, and it concerns harmony in our community. It concerns the decisions made by other governments and the impact on Victoria. What I am particularly interested in is a clear statement from the Victorian government, and not a statement welcoming the move to laud Hamas and recognise a Palestinian state. This has direct impacts on my electorate, in particular in Southern Metropolitan, with the very challenging situation of many in the Victorian Jewish community. I am terribly worried about the decision that has been made by the Prime Minister, and I want to just quote from an article in the Age today:

Listed terror group Hamas has applauded the Albanese government’s decision to recognise Palestine, arguing the move by Australia and other Western governments has vindicated its shock October 7 attacks on Israel and commitment to armed resistance.

Rejecting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s claim that Hamas would be “totally opposed” to the move to recognise Palestine as part of a global effort to progress a two-state solution, one of the militant organisation’s top officials praised the government for showing “political courage” …

I am not sure that I would want Hamas praising me, but it seems they are praising the Prime Minister Mr Albanese, and I think this is of great concern.

Albanese has rejected that argument, telling Channel Seven’s Sunrise on Tuesday: “Hamas will be totally opposed to this decision.

But when it came down to it, this is Mr Yousef, one of the key officials in Hamas:

Asked whether Hamas believed its commitment to violence had encouraged countries like Australia to recognise Palestine … Yousef said: “Yes, we believe that the escalation of armed resistance, including the operations carried out on October 7, has significantly contributed to highlighting the suffering of the Palestinian people and the injustice they face.”

“Resistance has proven to be an effective means …

What we are seeing here is a wild decision by the Australian government to recognise Palestine, a very unfortunate decision that will have serious repercussions inside Victoria and inside Australia. The Jewish community are being repeatedly targeted. The Minister for Multicultural Affairs, as we heard repeatedly, would not condemn attacks on the Jewish community and has been very slow on that. But now, with Albo and the federal government recognising Palestine, there are going to be a surge of problems with this, and I think it is very unfortunate. I think the federal government should not have made this recognition, and the state government should in no way support it. I know the Premier has been out supporting it, but she should not have been, and it will not assist community harmony. I think it is outrageous that Hamas has been lauded, and I think it is outrageous that the Prime Minister is now in the position where he is being lauded by Hamas. He has been ticked by Hamas. It is shocking.