Extract from ABC News
Anthony Albanese was asked about the rapid changes in global affairs unfolding at present. (AAP: Lukas Coch)
In short:
Anthony Albanese has described the reported killings of Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza as "completely indefensible" in a wide-ranging interview conducted ahead of his departure from China.
Speaking about the war more broadly, the Prime Minister said "Israel is losing support by its own actions" and that "some of its actions are completely indefensible" — and said he had told the Israeli president that directly.
The comments represent a stronger stance on the Israel-Gaza war from the government, which has previously said Israel had the right to defend itself.
Laura Tingle on the American pressure Albanese would prefer to avoid right now. (Laura Tingle)
Pressed on whether Australia needed to change its view of what was happening in Israel with reports of Palestinians regularly being killed while waiting for food and water, Mr Albanese said:
"Well, that is completely indefensible.
"And we've called that out each and every time that that has occurred. And we have, I've issued a number of joint statements, for example with the Canadian and New Zealand prime ministers.
"We've joined the international community, which overwhelmingly has condemned actions such as that.
"And the other thing that we've done is to say in private, what we say publicly as well, which is that Israel, and we say this as a friend, sometimes you gotta be straight and upfront.
"And I certainly have said to, for example, President Herzog, who I've known for a long period of time, that Israel is losing support by its own actions, and that some of its actions are completely indefensible."
Asked what chance there was for a two-state solution, when Gaza had been largely reduced to rubble and there had been further incursions into the West Bank by Israel, Mr Albanese said:
"The globe has to play a role in it, and obviously the role of the United States will be central to that.
"Australia isn't a central player in the Middle East, but what we can do is continue to do what we have done, which is to take a principled position.
"We opposed unequivocally the atrocity that occurred on October 7 [when Hamas led an attack on Israelis which left close to 1,200 people dead].
"We have called for a ceasefire consistently. We've called for the release of hostages. We have also called for the aid to be able to flow to the people of Gaza, and we've called out Israel for its actions that have led, of course, to such appalling conditions and loss of innocent life in the resolution that was carried in the parliament just days after October 7.
"I think that will stand the test of history well, because when you look at that [resolution] at the time, we spoke about opposing the loss of innocent life, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian."
Prime minister concludes diplomatic visit to China, with security and trade a key focus. (Jacob Greber)
PM discusses 'differences' with China over regional conflicts
The prime minister was also asked how China's current portrayal of itself as a global peacemaker, and a calm and steady hand in contrast to the Trump administration in the US, stood up in the face of Chinese support for Russia in its war in Ukraine, which included claims that Chinese troops had been captured on the battlefield.
"We made our position very clear about Ukraine to the Chinese leadership here over the past days," Mr Albanese said.
"We do have differences. We do have differences with some of the actions of China in our own region, let alone in Ukraine. And we point those out.
"We, for example, in the Pacific are very clear that we want the Pacific family to look after our own security and don't want to see an increased military presence in the region. Now we'll continue to do that.
"We engage with our Pacific neighbours just as we engage constructively with our ASEAN neighbours as well."
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