Key Points
- Turnbull says Anthony Albanese should not visit the Middle East.
- It follows Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson's joint visit to Israel.
- Turnbull said the Hamas-Israel war should come to an end.
Anthony Albanese should not make a solidarity visit to Israel despite other , former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged.
Turnbull said a prime ministerial visit to the Middle East would serve no purpose, as
'Leave the showboating for ScoMo and Boris'
Despite former prime minister Scott Morrison and former UK prime minister Boris Johnson making a joint visit to Israel, Turnbull said Albanese
"What's Australia going to do, other than provide sympathy and solidarity? Albanese has got to keep his eye on the ball, which is being prime minister of Australia and advancing the interests of the Australian people," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
"Leave the showboating for ScoMo and Boris."
Turnbull also hit back at suggestions from former Liberal MP Dave Sharma, who once held the former prime minister's Sydney electorate of Wentworth, that Albanese should visit Israel.
"Dave's a good bloke, he was a good ambassador in Israel ... but he's running for Liberal Party pre-selection, so I can understand why he's saying that in that context," he said.
As the Hamas-Israel war continues, the death toll in Gaza has risen above 10,000 according to Gaza health authorities, with both Israel and Hamas resisting calls for a ceasefire.
Turnbull said while Israel had the right to defend itself following the attacks on 7 October, the fighting should come to an end.
"It's hugely difficult but the sooner this fighting in Gaza can end, the better. It's a terrible loss of life," he said.
"Nobody wants this war to continue, but equally, the threat of Hamas has to be addressed."
The Greens staged a Senate protest on Monday, walking out of parliament to call for free Palestinian territories.
Mehreen Faruqi led her Greens Senate colleagues in a walkout to support a ceasefire in Gaza.
Faruqi said Gaza had become a "graveyard for children" and that the government was shielding Israel from accountability.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten hit out against the Greens parliamentary protest.
"I don't think the Greens walking out helps a single soul anywhere. I think that is just political grandstanding," he told ABC TV.
"We want to make sure that we're we're supporting a humanitarian pause. We want to see relief get through to innocent Palestinian civilians."
