Labor force to defend Palestine vote as Coalition attacks Albanese Govt for ‘trashing’ Israel relationship

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has accused the Government of attacking “civilisation itself” by changing its position on a United Nations vote related to Palestinian statehood.

The comments come as senior ministers were forced to defend Australia’s position as one made in “broad company” and after serious consideration.

The Coalition and the Jewish community were incredulous on Monday after Australia supported a resolution that also demanded Israel withdraw from the Occupied Palestinian Territories “as rapidly as possible”, putting it at odds with the United States.

Mr Dutton on Wednesday said Labor had “sold out the Jewish community” in reversing a position Australia has held for more than 20 years, with the decision further widening the gulf between the major parties’ positions on the Middle East ahead of next year’s Federal election.

He doubled down on this on Thursday morning, saying Australia had abandoned Israel at its time of need.

“It’s not just about the Jewish community, not just about Israel. It’s about civilisation itself, and it’s about the values that we have … as Westerners and as a culture that’s worth protecting and defending,” he told 2GB host Ray Hadley.

“(Labor) are harming our international relationships, and they’re most egregiously ostracising a part of the Australian community and the Jewish community that just don’t deserve to have that sort of treatment.”

Health Minister Mark Butler defended the decision, saying it had been a carefully calibrated decision and that Australia had not been alone.

“These are decisions that particularly Foreign Minister Wong takes very seriously and considers very seriously before we take them,” he told ABC News.

“We did so in pretty broad company, I might say, not just 156 other countries, but countries like Canada, the UK, New Zealand with whom we’re maintaining a very close dialogue as we step through this dreadful conflict in the Middle East.

“Minister Wong did that carefully and in a way that she thought would contribute in the best way as a middle power, quite remote from the actual conflict to creating a climate for a two-state solution and that’s what I think everyone wants here.”

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said the latest vote, as well as the decision to deny a visa to former minister Ayelet Shaked - resulting in the Australian ambassador in Israel being hauled in - was further proof the Labor Government had “trashed the very important bilateral relationship”.

“Bilateral relations between Australia and Israel are at their lowest ebb in decades... Israel is an incredibly important security and intelligence partners, there are terrorist attacks in our country that have been thwarted by Israeli intelligence,” he told Sky News.

“And yet the Albanese Government, in the pursuit of their political and domestic agenda, is happy to trash this important international relationship. I’m not surprised that the Israeli Government is disappointed with the Albanese Government after their treatment of Ayelet Shaked.

“Australia not only abandoned Israel (with the UN vote), but we walked away from our closest and most important ally, the United States. Penny Wong has trashed decades of bipartisanship... In an attempt to appease inner city voters, the Government is trashing our foreign policy record.”