Wednesday, October 28, 2026

10/28 Links Pt1: The ‘Israeli apartheid’ libel has completely fallen apart; Attacker shouting 'Allahu Akbar' killed outside Israeli Embassy in Serbia

From Ian:

The ‘Israeli apartheid’ libel has completely fallen apart
Yet even through all the mess and uncertainty, one thing shines bright: Israel is not an apartheid state. What was staggering yesterday was the speed and ease with which the voluble defamers of the Jewish State switched from calling it an apartheid hellhole to giddily sharing clips of Arabs and Bedouin people riding their camels to the polling station to put pressure on Netanyahu. These people know they’re lying, don’t they? Or I guess they might just be thick.

The idea that Israel is an apartheid state is such a flagrant lie you almost have to admire the nerve of those who propagate it. There are 2.1million Arabs in Israel. They have the right to vote, the right to stand for office. They have the same rights as Israeli Jews to healthcare, welfare and labour representation. They serve as High Court judges, senior diplomats, commanders in the army. They play in Israel’s national sports teams.

Indeed, I had to chuckle last month when the digital army of emotionally incontinent Israel-haters started frothing over an evil Israeli footballer who simulated the firing of a gun to celebrate his goal against Austria. They backed off a little, doubtlessly bewildered, when they discovered his name: Saied Abu Farchi. They backed off a little more when it turned out he wasn’t pretending to fire a gun at all – he was mimicking a snooker cue. The Guardian published a retraction. It was a hilarious little implosion of the Israelophobic lie machine. Not an apartheid state. Not a gun-loving people.

Comparing Israel to South Africa is not only wrong – it is also a grotesque falsehood that both demonises the world’s only Jewish nation and minimises the true savagery of Apartheid-era South Africa. South African blacks were subjected to a totalitarian system of dehumanisation. They were forbidden from voting in national elections. They were even stripped of citizenship. Expressly racist laws granted them ‘citizenship’ only in Bantustans (various ‘homelands’ fashioned by the racist government). It was a legal framework engineered for one malicious purpose: to violently strip millions of human beings of every democratic right and every ounce of dignity.

It is a crime against the historical record to use the word ‘apartheid’ to describe Israel. And to describe the West Bank, where of course things are more complicated given the interweaving strips of Palestinian land and Israeli land, but where there is nothing that remotely resembles the horror of South Africa-style Apartheid. What Israel’s critics do, time and again, is rummage through the barbarism of history in search of labels they might stick on the Jewish State. ‘Settler colony’, ‘apartheid’, ‘genocide’ – in the gobs of Israelophobes these are not substantiated accusations but demonising libels, their aim less to explain than to exterminate the Jewish State’s legitimacy.

Everyone agrees critical thinking is good. So let’s have some of it in response to all those headlines about how the Arabs in a supposedly anti-Arab apartheid state might soon have a whip hand over the future government. The keffiyeh mob are too drunk on their racist defamations to let the light of truth in, but everyone else should give it a whirl.
For pro-Israel diaspora, Israel’s Arab voters are a point of pride. For Israeli Jews, they’re a national security threat
The results hadn’t even come in and Israel’s supporters abroad were already touting the strength of the country’s democracy by highlighting the high participation of its Arab minority.

“Israel’s Arab citizens, men and women, are turning out in historic numbers to vote. They can vote, run for office and serve in the Knesset — rights denied to many Arabs and women across much of the Middle East,” tweeted Democratic US Rep. Josh Gottheimer.

“Our critical ally in the fight against terror, Israel, is the only democracy in the region, and today shows it,” he added.

Gottheimer is one of the most staunchly pro-Israel lawmakers in Congress, and an increasingly lone voice among Democrats, which also includes Rep. Tom Suozzi.

“Today, 5.5 million Jewish, Christian, and, notably, Arab Israelis participated in the only democracy in the Middle East,” Suozzi tweeted, employing a common argument used against those who accuse Israel of apartheid.

“The elections in Israel today are a further reminder of the shared values of our two nations. Am Yisrael Chai,” he added. People wait before casting their ballots at a polling station in the Arab Israeli town of Umm al-Fahm on October 27, 2026, on the day of Israel’s legislative election. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP)

Another foreigner — albeit one temporarily in Israel — tried to offer the country similar accolades for the voting rights it grants to its Arab citizens.

“Today is election day in Israel… Arabs vote same as Israelis. Contentious process, but it’s a democracy — not many of those in this region!” US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee wrote.

Outside the equation
The American envoy tellingly suggested that Arabs are not Israeli citizens, and he later acknowledged his poor choice of words.

But his initial detachment of Arabs from the rest of the country is one made and regularly accepted by the Jewish public in Israel when discussing the minority community’s political representation.

It is why headlines have characterized Tuesday’s election results as inconclusive, even though a majority of voters backed parties determined to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, thanks to an unprecedented 19 seats from the two Arab-majority parties. Left to right: Yair Lapid, Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Golan, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman meet at Lapid’s Tel Aviv home, September 26, 2026. (Lihi Lapid)

The anti-Netanyahu bloc is regularly crafted to omit the Joint List (12 seats) and Ra’am (7 seats), leaving it with a minority of 48 seats, after some 90 percent of the vote was counted on Wednesday.

This framing partly owes to the bloc leaders’ own remarks — Yashar party chief Gadi Eisenkot, B’Yachad chairman Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beytenu head Avigdor Liberman have all ruled out a coalition with the Arab-led parties.

Added criteria
The more Palestinian nationalist Joint List has shown little appetite for such a political partnership, but has expressed eagerness to collaborate with the other anti-Netanyahu parties to at least replace the longtime prime minister who relentlessly demonized Arab voters in the latest campaign and appointed far-right ministers who advanced measures against their communities and their Palestinian brethren beyond the Green Line.

But the more pragmatic Ra’am party is desperate to join an anti-Netanyahu coalition, and its leader, Mansour Abbas, took a series of steps to kasher his faction in the eyes of the Jewish public, including by bringing former senior police commander Yoav Segalovitz onto Ra’am’s Knesset slate.

Abbas has also for years recognized Israel as a Jewish state, meeting a key criterion laid out by Eisenkot for political partnership.

But in the lead-up to Tuesday’s election, Eisenkot added a new condition — recognizing Hamas as a terror group that Israel must destroy.
Attacker shouting 'Allahu Akbar' killed outside Israeli Embassy in Serbia, police say
An assailant armed with two knives attacked a member of Serbia's Gendarmerie guarding the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade shortly after midnight Wednesday, prompting the officer to fatally shoot the attacker in self-defense, according to Serbian authorities.

The assailant, who was a minor, allegedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" — or "God is great" in Arabic — as he slashed the officer in the face, leaving the officer "slightly injured."

Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack, adding that security forces had been monitoring the assailant.

Dacic said the attacker supported ISIS and displayed a black flag bearing the terrorist group's symbol on his Instagram account. The attacker was believed to be Serbian and from the town of Sabac, Dacic added.

Israel's foreign ministry confirmed the "attempted terrorist attack," and said the incident was under investigation by the relevant authorities.

"The attacker was neutralized by local police. No embassy personnel were injured, and the mission was closed at the time of the incident, which occurred late at night," the statement said.

According to Serbian prosecutors, an unidentified person wearing black clothes opened the door to the security booth outside the embassy around 12:15 a.m. local time.

Prosecutors said the attacker then walked toward the officer inside, identified as D.S., and threw one of his knives in his direction, hitting the officer in the left cheek.

D.S. then retrieved his service weapon and fired multiple rounds, killing the attacker on the spot, according to the office of the Higher Public Prosecutor in Belgrade.


To Bibi or not to Bibi? That’s anyone’s guess but here are a few possible scenarios
This wasn’t the result most people expected. Then again, most people in Israel know to always expect the unexpected. Polls before the election had Benjamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu’s Likud either losing or being neck and neck with his main rival Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party. They were wrong. Even most of the exit polls were wrong.

The column of votes on the large screen in the Knesset committee room doesn’t lie: Likud remains the most popular party. But to remain so, Netanyahu has eaten into the vote of some of his coalition parties. The way things stand neither he (as I write on 26 seats) nor Eisenkot (21) – even with the coalitions surrounding them has enough seats – 61 – to form a government but President Isaac Herzog will likely have to give him the first opportunity to try.

And the horse trading has already begun. Political pundits believe the easiest and most likely scenario will see him trying to take seats for Eisenkot’s ‘change’ coalition – perhaps even removing some of his more extremist coalition partners to please the bigger guns on the other side.

Some believe the far-right extremist Itamar Ben-Gvir – whose actions as security minister including turning too much of a blind eye to extremist settler violence which has sparked worldwide condemnation – may be jacked. And if Netanyahu wants a sort of Zionist unity government, he will also get rid of the Haredi party – with conscription of the ultra orthodox being a huge issue.

Could Eisenkot work with Bibi? Perhaps even sharing power and taking turns as Prime Minister? There are some in Israel who would favour this route as it would bring Netanyahu back to the centre while also meaning Trump’s favourite Israeli politician will be at his side for the next two years of his own time in power. Less likely is a deal with the the Arab parties even though they hold around 17 seats.

The election saw an unprecedented turnout from Israel’s Arab population which makes up 21.7 per cent of the electorate. Normally relatively apathetic about elections, this one saw them voting in droves – with a turn out of up to 80 per cent, larger even than the Jewish vote.

Bedouins showed up to polling booths on camels, so many lined up in Arab towns that new voting centres had to be set up. Some centres saw close to 100 per cent turnout.

One Arab party – Ra’am, whose leader Mansour Abbas, a former Muslim Brotherhood protege – was briefly in government before Netanyahu was elected and showed what could be achieved to have a voice for this community: increased funding for Arab majority towns, cities and schools. The more Arabs were encouraged to think about voting, the more they started to become interested in the politics of the country they live in.

Democrat leader Yair Golan said the opposition change coalition should try and join forces with the Arabs: ‘We can no longer accept Netanyahu’s racist distinction between Jewish and Arab votes,’ he wrote on X. ‘Anyone who tries to erase the votes of Arab citizens is surrendering to Netanyahu and giving up on Israel. We have an opportunity to form a change government in partnership with Israel’s Arab citizens.’

While there were conversations within the Eisenkot coalition about working with Abbas, when the party leader said any party had to describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation as a condition for joining his coalition – but not even Abbas would accede, saying only he condemned the actions of October 7.

The larger Joint List is made up of three parties which are all explicitly antizionist and so even less likely to form part of a government.

After the votes are counted, the parties will each speak to President Herzog about their preferences and he will decide which coalition is most likely to be able to form a government to try first. It is likely Netanyahu will get first dibs. He will have 24 days to do it and then may get an additional 14 days. If he fails, Eisenkot will get the chance. In the meantime, Netanyahu will continue as caretaker Prime Minister.

Altogether the process could take three months and if the parties can’t find a workaround, there will be another election. This is not unusual; from 2018 to 2022 there were five elections and no one will be surprised if the stalemate will persist.
Commentary Podcast: Coalition Building
Ben Shapiro joins us today to discuss the results of the Israeli election, where the anti-Bibi coalition underperformed and likely denied Eisenkot the prime ministership. Can Netanyahu form a new type of coalition or rely on Smotrich, Ben Gvir, and the ultra orthodox parties, and what might another round of elections look like if he can't? Plus, the election results as viewed through the prism of American politics, and John recommends the movie Confession.




UN Watch: UN Watch Legal Rebuttal: Dismantling the Pillay Commission’s Legal Findings Against Israel
On October 26, 2026, the Pillay Commission published its report to the UN General Assembly (A/81/430) purporting to examine “killing and causing bodily and mental harm by members of the security forces of the State of Israel and of the State of Palestine since October 2023.”

UN Watch and UKLFI Charitable Trust (UKLFI) prepared a detailed legal rebuttal dismantling the Pillay Commission’s legal findings against Israel, which is summarized below.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL REBUTTAL (PDF)

Summary of Joint Response to the UN Commission of Inquiry’s October 2026 Report
In its latest report, issued on 26 October 2026 (the “Report”), the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Palestinian Territory and Israel asks the General Assembly to accept that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and the crimes against humanity of extermination and persecution in Judea and Samaria. These are the gravest charges known to international law. The Report does not prove them. It reaches them by cutting the words of Israeli officials in half, recycling its own earlier allegations as evidence, citing sources that say the opposite of what is claimed, and erasing the killing of more than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, by Hamas and other armed groups on 7 October, the 251 people taken hostage and continuing attacks by Palestinian groups, including Hamas, with the support of the Palestinian Authority. This response tests the Report’s findings against its footnotes. They do not survive the exercise. The Standard of Proof (Part One)

Every finding, including genocide, is made on “reasonable grounds” — the test for issuing an arrest warrant, not for proving guilt or State responsibility. The Report never tells its readers so, and one of the Commission’s members has since called it “not a high standard.” The findings do not in any event meet even that standard, because they rest on evidence the Report has distorted; and the Report does not demonstrate that any of the findings meet the Commission’s rule on corroboration. More than 70 statements in the Report carry no source at all, 40 of which are statements on which a finding depends. Israeli accounts are “claimed” or “alleged”; the accounts of complainants are, for the most part, reported as fact. Findings that are at most arguable are presented as established fact.

The History (Part Two)
The Report explains Israeli conduct today through a history of 1948 that is fundamentally distorted and unsourced. It leaves out the Arab rejection of partition and the invasion by five Arab armies, and treats Israel’s survival of that war, and its fewer dead, as evidence of guilt. That history is not part of this inquiry: the Commission says it has yet to examine 1948 and will deal with it in later reports. The Commission appears to be using this Report to establish a false account of Israel’s founding and give it the authority of a United Nations finding.

Partial Quotes (Part Three)
The Report quotes Israeli officials without the part of the sentence that explains them, and presents what is left as an admission. A defensive line becomes a “new border,” pressure on Hamas becomes territorial ambition, and a statement that most of those killed were armed becomes evidence that soldiers kill people who pose no threat. Every cut runs in the same direction. That cannot be put down to carelessness.

The Commission as Its Own Witness (Part Four)
The Commission treats its own earlier allegations as evidence. Claims made in one paper are repeated in the next, losing their qualifications on the way, until a single detainee’s account, published three times over, is offered as an example of the conduct from which genocidal intent is inferred. Figures from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health reach the Report through United Nations documents and are stated as the Commission’s own. Most of the earlier findings were made under a chair who had called for sanctions against Israel before she was appointed and with a member whose antisemitic remarks drew condemnation from Western governments, and this Report adopts them without re-examining them. Repetition is presented as proof.
UKLFI: Natasha Hausdorff Discusses Serious Flaws in UN Report Accusing Israel of Genocide
International lawyer and barrister Natasha Hausdorff, Legal Director of UKLFI Charitable Trust (UKLFI CT), challenges the evidence, methodology and legal reasoning of the latest UN Commission of Inquiry report, which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza and extermination in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank).

In this new interview, Hausdorff examines a detailed joint response prepared by UKLFI CT and UN Watch, which shows that the Commission has selectively quoted Israeli officials, relied on unsubstantiated allegations, omitted crucial context, and failed to apply an appropriate standard of proof to exceptionally serious accusations.

Among the issues discussed are the Commission's interpretation of the "Yellow Line" in Gaza, its misuse of the bogus claim that 83% of Gazans killed were civilians, unfounded allegations of deliberate targeting of Palestinian children, and the distinction between UN investigations and legally binding court judgments.

Hausdorff also examines admissions made by Chris Sidoti, a member of the UN Commission, in a public debate in October 2026, and explains why the Commission's conclusions should not be relied on to justify sanctions, trade restrictions or other measures targeting Israel.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: UKLFI CT and UN Watch challenge the UN report
01:15 The allegations against Israel and the rebuttal's main findings
04:55 The standard of proof: UN inquiry versus international courts
09:05 Selective quotations, casualty figures and recycled allegations
14:10 Hamas, hostages and allegations concerning Palestinian children
18:05 The consequences for governments and international law




Penny Wong BACKFLIPS after Palestine BREAKS statehood deal with Australia
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has admitted the conditions Labor attached to recognising a Palestinian state carry no consequences, telling a Senate estimates hearing on Wednesday that recognition will theoretically stand even if the Palestinian Authority never delivers the elections it promised, never ends its payments to terrorists and their families, and Hamas is never removed from any role in a future Palestinian state.

The concession came at the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee, where Liberal Senator James Paterson reminded the minister that the government's policy was "predicated on the delivery of these key issues including elections."

He then asked whether there were "any circumstances under which the government will revoke the recognition of Palestinian statehood" if the PA continued to delay elections and failed to deliver on its commitments.

"No, we have recognised the state of Palestine," Wong replied.

"Well, it's not a precondition then, is it?" Paterson shot back.

Wong argued recognition was "a contribution to peace in the Middle East" and, when Paterson asked whether the PA simply didn't have to adhere to the commitments, replied "May I finish?" before declaring "there is no peace without two states."

Paterson summed it up: "You have just said that it does not matter whether they deliver on these or not. We will not change our policy. We will continue to recognise Palestinian statehood, even if they do not deliver on these preconditions, Minister."

A departmental official then told the committee that Australia had recognised Palestine and "what we made clear at the time was that further steps, including the establishment of diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies, would be considered as the Palestinian Authority makes progress on its commitments to reform."

"So the recognition has happened, but further steps are contingent on these," the official said.

In other words, the one thing the PA actually wanted has already been handed over. All that remains on the table is the paperwork.

Paterson pressed the obvious point. "Minister, why would the Palestinian Authority feel any need to deliver on these commitments, given that you won't change your policy? You will allow them to flout these and not change your policy."

"That is your words, I disagree with them," Wong said, insisting "the Palestinian people want a state" and that it was "a legitimate aspiration." She closed, as the chair moved the call, by turning to "the actions of the Netanyahu government in the West Bank."


Penny Wong admits to citing inaccurate figures in UN speech criticising Israel
News24 host Sharri Markson says Foreign Minister Penny Wong has acknowledged that she cited inaccurate figures in her United Nations speech criticising Israel.


‘Shameful’: Labor failing to ensure Palestine statehood preconditions are being met
Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson discusses Labor failing to ensure Palestinian statehood preconditions are being met.


Convicted ISIS terrorist linked to alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram set to walk free from prison
A convicted Islamic State terrorist with links to the alleged Bondi Beach massacre gunman is set to walk free from prison on Sunday, despite authorities having the power to seek an extension of his detention.

Self-proclaimed Australian ISIS commander Isaac El Matari is approaching the end of his five-year prison sentence, with the Australian Federal Police now reportedly seeking court-imposed restrictions on his movements and activities.

According to The Australian, the Department of Home Affairs has not applied for a continued detention order that could have kept El Matari behind bars for up to another five years.

Home Affairs has declined to explain why a continued detention order was not sought, citing ongoing Federal Court proceedings.

In a statement to The Nightly, a departmental spokesperson said protecting Australians from convicted terrorists remained a top priority.

“There is no higher priority for the Australian Government than protecting the community from harm, including the risk posed by convicted terrorist offenders,” the spokesperson said.

“Where an Interim Control Order application is before the court, it is not appropriate to go into the details of this case, including any legal advice or consideration given to any applications.”

The department said continuing detention orders were one of several measures available to manage convicted terrorists, alongside control orders.

“The Government takes the strongest action available under the law, based on expert advice and in consultation with the relevant operational and security agencies,” the spokesperson said.

The AFP launched Federal Court proceedings seeking an interim control order, which could impose restrictions on the convicted terrorist for up to 12 months.

The application has been considered by the Federal Court, with a decision expected ahead of El Matari’s scheduled release on Sunday.
Greens to Face Human Rights Commission Over RACISM Complaint
The Australian Human Rights Commission has accepted a racial vilification complaint against Greens Senator Nick McKim and the Australian Greens over the Tasmanian senator's claim that the federal government had been "captured by Zionist interests".

The complaint was lodged by Menachem Vorchheimer, a Melbourne Jewish community leader who has repeatedly taken antisemitism to courts and tribunals. He announced the development on X on 28 October, saying the complaint had been brought under sections 18C and 18E of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.



The row began in the Senate on 20 August, during debate on an ASIO amendment bill. McKim accused the Albanese Government of being "captured by Zionist interests", and when Liberal Senator James Paterson objected, McKim turned the same line on him personally. He later withdrew the personal remark but insisted he was entitled to the broader claim.

Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler answered with an open letter on 23 August. He wrote that accusing Jews of "hidden or improper influence over governments" was a conspiracy given "its most notorious expression in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and "relentlessly propagated by Nazi Germany". He reminded McKim that the terrorists behind the Bondi massacre, which killed 15 people at a Chanukah celebration, had "condemned 'Zionists'" before opening fire on Jews.

"Political leaders cannot absolve themselves of responsibility for dangerous rhetoric simply by substituting the word 'Zionist' for 'Jew'," Leibler wrote, urging the senator to "withdraw your remarks and apologise unreservedly to the Australian Jewish community."

McKim refused. "Conflating 'Zionist' with 'Jew', as the Zionist Federation does, is fundamentally dishonest," he said in response, before declaring that Israel was "carrying out a genocide in full view of the entire world". Paterson accused him of promoting conspiracy theories that encourage antisemitism.

According to Vorchheimer, the senator went further and repeated the allegation, describing it as "the truth". His complaint is aimed at that republication outside Parliament, where parliamentary privilege offers no shelter.

"Criticising Israel or Zionism can constitute legitimate political debate. But political debate does NOT provide immunity for racial vilification through antisemitic stereotypes," Vorchheimer wrote. "No politician, and no member of the public, is above the law."


The Mecca Pact and Saudi Arabia’s future with the Abraham Accords
The recent developments surrounding the Mecca Pact raise important questions about the future of Saudi Arabia’s relationship with Israel and the broader prospects for expanding the Abraham Accords.

While criticism of Israel’s regional policies may reflect political concerns, it is equally important to examine the wider security environment, Israel’s legitimate national security interests, and the strategic consequences of allowing regional disagreements to overshadow opportunities for peace.

The path toward a more stable Middle East should not be defined by diplomatic isolation or permanent confrontation with Israel. Instead, it should be shaped by constructive engagement, mutual recognition, security cooperation, and a commitment to resolving disputes through diplomacy.

The Mecca Pact may complicate the political environment for normalization, but it does not necessarily close the door to a future Saudi-Israeli partnership.

Saudi Arabia may have reasons to strengthen its defense relationships with Pakistan and Turkey. However, such partnerships need not be directed against Israel or interpreted as a rejection of the Abraham Accords. Regional security arrangements are most constructive when they reduce the risk of conflict rather than reinforce divisions between competing political blocs.

Israel faces a complex security environment involving threats from Iran and its regional partners, alongside continuing concerns over terrorism, missile attacks, and the security of its population. These concerns deserve serious consideration in any balanced assessment of Middle Eastern stability. Criticism of Israeli government policies should not obscure Israel’s right to protect its citizens or the importance of preventing attacks on civilians.

For Riyadh, the strategic opportunity lies in maintaining its independent diplomatic relationships while exploring whether engagement with Israel could contribute to a more secure and economically integrated region. Saudi Arabia can retain strong ties with Pakistan and Turkey without making its future relationship with Israel a zero-sum choice.

The Abraham Accords have demonstrated that Arab-Israeli relations need not remain permanently defined by historical hostility. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel in 2020, creating new opportunities for commercial exchange, technological collaboration, and people-to-people engagement.

The economic relationship between the UAE and Israel provides a practical illustration of this potential. According to figures reported by the UAE Foreign Ministry, bilateral merchandise trade reached approximately $3.2 billion in 2025. This demonstrates the tangible possibilities of cooperation, although the benefits for Saudi Arabia would depend on the terms and scope of any future agreement.
Penny Wong does not rule out closing Iran’s embassy after fresh spy revelations
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has left the door open to shutting Iran’s embassy amid revelations the Islamic regime targeted an Australian journalist in Australia.

The diplomatic outpost has been running on skeleton staff since Anthony Albanese expelled its ambassador last year over Iran’s involvement in attacks targeting Jewish Australians.

Fronting a senate estimates hearing on Wednesday, Senator Wong was asked if “there is any threshold” Iran could cross that would prompt the Albanese government to fully sever ties.

“I’m not going to get into speculating about what the advice of security agencies is, particularly in this forum, and you understand what the advice of security agencies might or might not be,” she said, responding to opposition defence spokesman James Paterson.

“But when it comes to the safety of Australians, that is our first priority.

“So we would make any decisions that we thought and were advised were necessary to protect the security of Australians, as we have done.”

It comes after the head of ASIO revealed News24 host Sharri Markson was targeted in “sophisticated and targeted” Iranian intelligence operations this year.

Markson shared details in an article, saying that Iranian operatives gained access to her emails and personal details by impersonating one of her contacts.

ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said it showed “Iran continues to view Australia as a legitimate target for covertly directed acts of violence”.

During the estimates hearing, Senator Wong said “Australia will not and does not tolerate attempts by Iranian agents to surveil, to harass, or to intimidate individuals in Australia, whether they are members of the Iranian diaspora or journalists conducting their work, or political individuals”.


IDF: 6 Hamas operatives, including 3 Oct. 7 terrorists, killed in recent Gaza strikes
The Israeli military announced on Wednesday that it had killed six members of the Hamas terror group in recent strikes in the Gaza Strip, including three terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught.

Israel in recent months has increasingly targeted terror operatives in Gaza, including numerous terrorists who took part in the Hamas-led October 7 atrocities, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces.

One strike on Sunday in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis killed Anas Akram Muhammad Humaida, identified by the military as a commander in Hamas’s elite Nukhba Force who invaded the Sufa army post on October 7, 2023.

Another strike on Sunday in Gaza City killed Ashraf Mahmoud Yusuf Dahlan, who, according to the IDF, was a company commander in Hamas’s East Jabalia Battalion, and who also infiltrated Israel on October 7.

A strike on Monday in Gaza City killed Mahmoud Othman Abdullah Alwan, a Nukhba commander in Hamas’s West Jabalia Battalion, according to the military.

On Monday, Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Hamas-run Gaza Civil Defense agency, said that over the previous 24 hours, 13 people were killed and about 60 wounded by alleged Israeli fire and airstrikes in Gaza.

Additionally, the military said Wednesday that a strike on Friday in northern Gaza killed two Hamas operatives, identified as Omar Awadallah, a Nukhba platoon commander, and Moataz Mahmoud Mohammed Al-Nimr, a Nukhba operative.

A separate strike on Thursday last week in southern Gaza killed Ahmed Muhammad Ahmed Baraka, a Nukhba terrorist who invaded Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, the IDF said.

According to the military, the terrorist took part in abducting several Israeli civilians during the onslaught, including Alex Dancyg, and during the war, he assisted in holding “numerous hostages,” including soldier Sgt. 1st Class Nimrod Cohen, in southern Gaza.

The military said the six operatives had recently been advancing attacks on troops and Israeli civilians and acted to restore Hamas’s capabilities, “in systematic violation of the ceasefire.”



 



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