Topics: Iranian escalation of Middle East conflict; Albanese must list IRGC as terrorist organisation; Australians advised to leave Lebanon; October 7 for memorial services;
04:15PM AEST
2 October 2024
Greg Jennett: All right. We’ve heard from the government, but there’s more than enough going on in the world right now to warrant hearing from the Shadow Foreign Minister, too. That’s Simon Birmingham, and he’s with us live now from his home city of Adelaide. Simon, good to see you again. Why don’t we start inevitably in the Middle East?
Simon Birmingham: G’day, Greg.
Greg Jennett: So, Iran’s bombardment of Israel for only the second time has been met with warnings of reprisals from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Do you believe, based on what you’ve seen, that Israel is within its rights under international law to strike targets in Iran, perhaps even nuclear program sites?
Simon Birmingham: Thanks, Greg. Well, it is for Israel to determine precisely how they might respond in the way in which they go about it. But we fully support Israel’s right to self-defence and utterly condemn Iran’s actions. Iran ultimately is the ringmaster of a whole nest of vicious serpents who have continuously attacked Israel and sought to undermine peace and stability in the Middle East and right throughout the world. Iran, through the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, drives, funds, strategises with and ultimately helps to empower Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi rebels and now we see it launching its own attacks. Iran is at the absolute nexus of the vicious attacks and destruction that we see on Israel and so many people paying the price for that, Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, Iranians themselves, and more broadly, of course, the disruption that their attacks on global trade and elsewhere cause to the global economy and inflationary pressures, even right through to countries like our own.
Greg Jennett: You identify the central role played by the Revolutionary Guard in Iran there. It does, as you describe that sound like an argument potentially for it to be declared a terrorist organisation by our country. Should it be?
Simon Birmingham: 110 per cent, Greg, the Coalition has been calling for some time now, years in fact, for the Albanese Government to take the action of listing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation under Australian law. We did so partly out of concern for what we saw in Iran itself, the oppression of women and girls in Iran, the brutal murder of Mahsa Amini and subsequent attacks and suppression and oppression of so many others, but also knowing full well the IRGC’s role in funding, directing and coordinating with terrorist activities right across the board. And it is time for the Albanese Government to take action and show leadership by listing the IRGC as the US and others have done. And it is also time for the world community to unite in recognising that Iran’s role is one as chief destabiliser. Iran’s role is one that is causing that suffering to so many, and Iran’s role is the prime reason why simply calling for ceasefire or simply urging diplomatic talks won’t provide a lasting solution, because Iran will support those terrorist organisations to rearm, regroup and repeat the attacks as they have promised to do so publicly.
Greg Jennett: Right. So, does that mean that the Coalition does not fully endorse the multinational ceasefire call issued out of New York last week?
Simon Birmingham: No, Greg, it doesn’t mean that. If you look at the totality of that statement, it importantly calls for a ceasefire that can achieve the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701. Now, this resolution, which is long-standing, was designed to try to provide the peaceful buffer for Israel along its northern border to ensure that Hezbollah forces are not operating in the south of Lebanon to create, if you like, a demilitarised zone of sorts, at least from the terrorist capabilities, and to ensure that Lebanese and Israelis can live close to the border, confident in the peaceful environment. Now, if that can be achieved, if that can be secured, then you’re on the pathway to a ceasefire that could also involve some lasting stability, at least in that part of Israel’s border regions.
Greg Jennett: Okay. So highly conditional. Can I also ask about DFAT’s coordination with Canada and the UK, perhaps other nations too, to get seats for Australians to fly out on commercial flights from Beirut? Have you been briefed on how that’s going? Do you have any visibility on the numbers involved or the success so far?
Simon Birmingham: Peter Dutton, the Shadow Home Affairs Minister, James Paterson, and I sought and received briefings actually a couple of months ago when we could foresee that the situation was becoming less and less stable. We wanted to understand what preparatory work the government was doing in relation to telling Australians to get out of the region and to not be there and to not travel there, as well as emergency arrangements or back up arrangements to help with repatriation. So, we have received those briefings, and we will be looking for and engaging, I’m sure, with future briefings around the status of that. As Peter Dutton has made clear today, it’s crucial that we ensure that those who are repatriated to Australia who do come back are Australian citizens, and that any consideration of others doesn’t see a repeat of the rushed tourist visa farce that we saw coming out of Gaza without appropriate security checks. I would also say this though, Greg, that people, Australian citizens in Lebanon have had plenty of warning. We have been on a unity ticket with the government repeating again and again and again to get out and to not travel there. Now the government is doing the right thing by seeking to create additional seats for people to leave. But they shouldn’t expect miracles, and they certainly shouldn’t expect other Australian taxpayers to be footing extravagant bills for people to get out of the country where they’ve been told again and again that they shouldn’t be there.
Greg Jennett: And look, just a final one, Simon, if we can, as we look forward to the anniversary of October the 7th looming on Monday, there will be vigils organised by what we might describe as pro-Israeli community leaders. But there’s also the possibility of protests by pro-Palestinian groups on the Monday and on the preceding Sunday. Can they be legitimately held the pro-Palestinian ones if peacefully conducted?
Simon Birmingham: Greg, October 7th and the lead up to it is a time to reflect, to commemorate, to pray and ultimately for people to come together in ways that reflect the type of peace we all ultimately wish to see. It’s no time at all for protests. It would send totally the wrong signal for protests. For messages of hate. For actions that reflect one upon the other to be had. It is a time to ensure that we are reflecting about the horrors that occurred on October 7th. The hostages who still continue to be held to this day. And of course, the tragic loss of life that has occurred. Israeli, Palestinian and otherwise, and the desire to see that come to an end. But the need for that to come to an end through the ultimate removal of the terrorist threat.
Greg Jennett: Well, political leaders and security agencies are obviously alert to some of these possibilities. We’ll watch how events unfold through the Sunday and the Monday. Simon Birmingham, we always appreciate you coming on. We express our gratitude once again and promise to talk again before too long.
Simon Birmingham: Indeed. Thanks very much, Greg.
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