Scott Morrison became the first Australian politician to visit Israel following the conflict between the Jewish state and Hamas.
The former prime minister landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday afternoon alongside former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join former Prime Minister Johnson in coming to Israel as a show of solidarity with the people, the State of Israel and the Jewish community around the world,” he said on Sunday. Mr. Morrison.
“This is an opportunity to understand first-hand what is happening on the ground, to honor those who have been lost, to show our support for those who have suffered and are now engaged in this terrible conflict and to discuss how to move forward.”
Scott Morrison (left, pictured with Boris Johnson, right and Israeli politician Danny Danon) became the first Australian politician to visit Israel since the start of the conflict with Hamas.
Hamas’ cross-border attack on Israel on October 7 killed at least 1,400 people and 240 people were taken hostage. Since then, four hostages have been released.
Israel has since closed the territory’s borders, launched a ground attack and continued bombardment has killed at least 9,500 people.
Mr Morrison, whose government recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2018, signed a joint letter last week unequivocally condemning the actions of Hamas and the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia.
The former prime minister landed at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday afternoon alongside former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The six former leaders said there was no place for racial or religious hatred in Australia and warned against allowing the war between Israel and Hamas to “pit Australians against each other.” others “.
“It was the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and its grotesque cruelty and violence were comparable to those of ISIS,” the statement said, referring to the armed group IS.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese previously said he had no plans to visit Israel after the conflict. He has repeatedly reiterated his support for Israel’s right to defend itself, but sharpened his rhetoric last week, insisting that Israel must follow the rule of law.
“The civilian toll is rightly causing enormous concern around the world,” he told a conference in Melbourne on Thursday.
“Every effort must be made to ensure that innocent civilians are protected to the greatest extent possible.
“It is very difficult because of the way Hamas operates, using civilian infrastructure mixed with what is effectively military infrastructure… but every effort must be made.”
