It’s starting to look like the old days are well and truly gone. The bonds between Australia, the US and Israel are frayed and the decades-long love triangle is no more.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has snapped. He’ll always blame Anthony Albanese for starting the unravelling, of course, but calling Australia’s prime minister “weak” won’t win you friends or influence people. And recycling the attack line beloved of Peter Dutton just ain’t gonna work. If it came from Israel’s friends in Australia, Netanyahu should look for advice elsewhere.
Squeezing the Orange
Over in the land of the free, Donald Trump has swung from one high-octane meeting to the next. Clapping for Vlad Putin one day, backslapping with Volod Zelenskyy and half of Europe the next, it’s been a high old time for a guy who loves attention.
But there’s an upside to the reprehensible Trump. His perfidy has inspired some truly memorable prose. Here’s veteran columnist George Will in The Washington Post this week:
“As flaccid as a boned fish, Donald Trump crumpled quicker than even Vladimir Putin probably anticipated. The former KGB agent currently indicted for war crimes felt no need to negotiate with the man-child. The president’s thunderous demands — a 50-day deadline, a 10-day deadline, “severe consequences”, a ceasefire before negotiations — all were just noise … Alaska clarified what was unclear only to the obtuse: Putin wants to win the war, Trump wants to end it, and as George Orwell said, the quickest way to end a war is to lose it. Putin insolently did not suppress his smirk while on the red carpet that Trump rolled out for him. He almost certainly already had dangerous clarity about Trump.”
Cash cow
The synchronisation of time and place has it that America and Israel are governed by extreme characters whose unprecedented acts are opposed in their own countries. It might seem reasonable for Albanese to unhook Australia from the mayhem. Yet there are those in the local political and media class who insist that the Australian government — a middle-of-the-road enterprise if ever there was one — is at fault.
Opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs Senator Michaelia Cash has, characteristically, been most brutal:
“How did we get to this point? Our relationship with an ally that is fighting a war with terrorists who have been described as a death cult has completely imploded — while the terrorists are delighted with us and praising our PM.”
“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has destroyed Australia’s relationship with our long standing close ally Israel. This is a foreign policy humiliation and diplomatic crisis of Mr Albanese’s own making. Mr Albanese should act immediately to begin repairing this vital relationship.”
As ever, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is less strident but arrives at a similar point. She said today that the Australian prime minister should always be respected but has lamented the “deteriorated” and “mismanaged” diplomatic relationship with Israel. It goes without saying that the Murdoch opinion grinders have reached much the same conclusion. Poor old Greg Sheridan suggested Albanese was messing up Australia in the same way as his friend Dan Andrews messed up Victoria.
The big cringe
The notion that Australia must go along with the US and Israel — whatever their actions — is portrayed as responsible national leadership. But in 2025 it feels like a perverse form of cultural cringe.
Two opinion polls this week suggest the general population has a very different view from that of conservative political and media forces when it comes to what’s happening in the world and Australia’s changing role. The Resolve Political monitor, published in the Nine mastheads, found that Labor had widened its two-party-preferred lead over the Coalition to an astounding 59-41, its strongest result since April 2023 and a four-point increase since the May election. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong was Labor’s most popular member. On national security and defence, Labor led the Coalition 33% to 29% as the better performer (with 26% undecided).
The mob isn’t always right of course, but it’s perfectly possible that Australia is right to recast the dynamics of the old love triangle — and that it’s time to be rid of the cultural cringe which says others know best.
Are we finally growing up? If we are it certainly feels good.
Pride and exhilarating feelings as we prepare to snap the umbilical cord!
Yes but when do we reach the point where we publicly accept that AUKUS is one of the most scandalous abuses of consolidated revenue in living memory, held in place by the ego of the Australian political class, the fawning adulation of a US that wants to drag us into a conflict with China and the long held belief that moving a millimetre from utter devotion to Uncle Sam risks disaster in a “khaki” election.
Be gone with the falsehood, evil and domination that Netanyahu, Putin and Trump represent, time to chart a course based on truth, morality and inclusivity.
If only!!
I’m always confused when Isreal is referred to as an ally. I can’t think of a time when the combined energies of Australia and Israel have been harnessed against a common foe. Israel seems to think that everyone is obliged to support them blindly whatever they do.
And I’m not sure we should be giving too much weight to the statements from an indited war criminal when he criticises foreign governments.
Netanyahu has delusions of power and is intent on a genocide!
His fund raising right wing nutter got his visa cancelled, and no one cares.
If we were truly malignant we could have given him his visa, put him on the sanctioned list and sent him to the ICC with a request.
Ha!
In bond terms, Israel under its current government is in total default with 0% hope of repayment/recovery and a capital call to boot.
So far below the “Junk Bonds” in my smsf that fund my retirement.
“Weak”? I can see that Constable Duffus Plod got on the hotline to Bibi and said Albo hates being called weak. Wow! That really got him in the guts Bibi.
Meanwhile back on the front, Bibi kills another thousand or two.
The smartest response Albanese could make to Netanyahu’s comments would be to ignore them and, when asked, say he’s too busy focusing on Australia’s interests to be worried about being called names.
Re the use of “weak” as an insult, I wonder if it was anyone associated with Advance lobby group who suggested that.
Re Senator Cash’s vitriolic fishwifery, I think she’ll physically explode when AUKUS falls through
Re the screeching broom jockey..we can only hope.
You mean she of the dulcet tones?
It’s amazing how good a ‘do the bare minimum’ government can look when the opposition is such a train wreck. Labor made Howard look good for close to a decade and even made someone like Abbott look like a viable option. Sadly ‘Piss-Weak’ Albo is not the leader we need in these difficult times, but looking across the Parliament there are no other good options. Perhaps the biggest crime the Murdoch press has committed is making all out Pollies bed-wetters.
Errr, Mark, I do understand your frustration with the smoke and mirrors that Aussie governments have employed relentlessly over decades. Perhaps still embarrassed about not knowing what was going on in the various necessary wars we have been dragged into as payment for WW11 support??
Still, unfortunately just pointing fingers does not help with a solution.
Align with the powers of respect and dignity, continue to work quietly to express our view of the folly of others, promote cohesion actively at home.
Isreal is no longer using its right to defend itself.rather it is now waging a war of aggression against the Palestinians bot in the Gaza Strip and the West and..to call criticism of their actions anti semitic is silly and those in the Jewish community who continue to do so are only damaging themselves
David, well said. Israel has only existed as a “sovereign state” since 1948, when it started waging this war with its own Terra Nulleus view of the region of Palestine. Fortunately all Jews are not Israelis and not all Israelis follow the Hitler philosophy of their being a superior people.
It was about time our ruling government stood up against genocide and ignored the opposition that knows nothing but lies and vitriol.
It us the right, most popular move Albanese could have made, and who cares what a criminal PM has to say, he does not hold a position or have a say in our country.
Of course he’s acting like a spoilt child not getting all his own way, he does not matter to us. He his an illegal occupier of Palestinian land, and guilty of not giving Paestinians tge care he us obliged to under International Humanitarian Law, he is a wanted criminal who has no right tell Australia, or its PM how to conduct ourselves.
Close with embassies in Israel and Australia, send their people back. Make sure their paedophile are extradited as well.
I’m always at a loss when I hear that we’re at loggerheads with an ally in Israel. It’s a little like calling Switzerland or Sweden an ally. I’m unaware of any treaty we have with them. I am aware that we were an intricate part of their inception, and since then, they have behaved dreadfully against their geographical neighbours. And despite their declarations, not always in defending their borders. 1967 was all their doing. In fact the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 242, which called for Israel’s withdrawal from territories occupied during the conflict in exchange for peace and security in the region.
In the third last paragraph, you write “… Australia must go along with the US and Israel…” but there’s
one crucial word missing – the word “not”.
Thanks Robert. I think it is correct as it is. There are those who say that going along with US and Israel is the responsible thing to do.
Those people are genocide supporters , moral cowards who history will judge very badly.
David, you are correct. The whole sentence needs to be read not just the first few words.
It is absolutely past time to stand up to the fascist bully boys. In the case of Netanyahu and Israel, why would any country continue to overlook international war crimes amounting to genocide. The takeover of Gaza City is just the latest example. It has been clear since October 2024 that the aim was to destroy Gaza. The takeover of the West Bank was already well under way. Hamas is a violent and tactically bereft organisation, but that’s what you often get after 75 years of occupation – a Mugabe or a Pol Pot.
As for Trump, see the takeover of the DC law enforcement on the basis of naked power supported by outright lies.
These men are not leaders.
Netanyahu engaging in mass murder, getting worse by the day, while claiming strong and moral leadership, indicates one sick puppy. It is easier to perpetrate great evil if you believe you are dong great good.
Australia is either in favour of genocide or not. Thank you Prime Minister for telling the world that we are unequivocally against genocide.
The establishment of Israel in 48 has been a tragedy for Judiasm and an absolute catastrophe for the indigenous Palestinians.
I respect Anthony Albanese for standing firm in regard to supporting Palestine. At no time has he spoken favorably about Hamas, and in fact has said that for Palestine to become a nation Hamas must play no part. His concern has always been the innocent Palestinians especially the children. Netanyahu is another toddler having a tantrum, clearly shadowing Trump. He is simply shooting himself in the foot. He knows that if the war ends and there is an election in Israel he is like to be jailed. It has always been in his interest to continue the destruction in Gaza.
Just when you think that the opposition couldn’t get any sillier, it jumps up and proves you wrong … There is no need for their strident outpourings. If they had their way Albanese would already have gone to Washington for the mandatory grovel and been given the mandatory rebuff. Thankfully Albo seems to have more sense than lower himself, and our nation, to that level.
If the opinion polls are anything to go by, the majority of Australians are satisfied to accept that Israel is the aggressor in the current conflict, and that its actions are severely disproportionate to the actions of Hamas in October 2023. Israel lost about 1500 people in the initial raid; thus far they have slaughtered more than 60000 Palestinians. Clearly their actions now are not retaliatory – they have set out to eliminate their Palestinian neighbours by whatever means they have at their disposal and regardless of what world opinion may be. They are pariahs and deserve to be treated as such. It seems that many rank-and-file Israelis agree, given the weekend demonstrations in Tel Aviv.
It was always a marriage of inconvenience! A multicultural country like Australia in bed with an increasingly racist and apartheid state.
A state based on stealing the patrimony from its would be neighbours, stirring strife throughout the region. The US terrestrial ‘aircraft carrier’ in the midst of Arab lands.
Being an ‘ally’ of Israel, for no good reason, as it has descended into rogue, terrorist state bent on genocide of Palestinians to complete their grand theft is a burden Australia can do without.
Well put, Sean.
Its long past time that Albanese dared call out the truth: Netanyahu is a Zionist, an extreme (very far indeed from a religion) and abhorred by the many jews and others who can tell the difference. oOne look at the shockingly amateurish document delivered for $12m as a Zionist wet dream, free of anything so trivial as a reference, or even the most basic check of Australian law, should have told him that a genocidal displacer of 2.5million people from the remenants of their homeland (let alone the horrific rest) just mike be an invasion army and far from a civilised government- and one that used to finance Hamas and tried to adjust their own supreme court… I would have thought a few tiny clues like this might have helped
The usual small change from Cash, nothing rattles in that can.
I think it is laughable Netanyahu calling all the world leaders who called him out weak. Since I was young boy I was taught that it is the weak people who use violence. Strong people avoid violence, protect the meek and never turn a blind eye to violence by calling it out. The Australian people should proud to have a strong leader in Albo who displays good ethics. The weak leaders are in Israel, Russia and USA who turns a blind eye.
Yes those that appear weak to the violent are the strong. These are the Mahatma Gandhi, the Martin Luther Kings, the Nelson Mandelas, the Jesus Christs of our world who stand firm and name oppression, injustice, cruelty and violence without using violence and who have paid with their lives. These Australian people have spoken in their thousands and will not condone the mass murder, the cruelty, the bombings of the Palestinians cultural institutions, their homes, their businesses, livelihoods, hospitals and especially their babies, children, their future. Albanese is not weak, he has listened to the distress and anger of Australians and responded on our behalf, unlike the insipid and weak, immoral Opposition.
With friends like these…
Netanyahu has a clear path to spit in the face of his (and Israel’s) detractors … submit himself to the International Criminal Court for adjudication on his actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
The other beautiful lie that always gets me rolling around on the floor laughing (in a black sort of way) is ‘Israel, the only democratic state in the Middle East’–from Big Ears the butcher of Gaza and many others. God spare me.
Trump likes deals. Here is one : Swapping US access to Pine Gap for stopping delivery of military aid to Israel
PM navigating the difficult line well. Most people see it except for fringe nuts following you know who’s billionaire media outlet…
I have been wondering for a long time what on earth possessed Susan Ley to appoint Michaelia Cash as foreign affairs spokesperson. I realise she didn’t have many to choose from, but truly, surely there was someone else who could at least sound the part. Michaelia’s comments add little to any serious discussion and her voice sounds like a fishwife. The contrast with Penny Wong is striking.
I can only guess it was a case of letting her out to savage random strangers rather than savage Ley herself – nothing you can do with a mad dog except….
What I would say is that Penny Wong is always calm and deliberative. I would also say that she sometimes lacks fire and passion with her slow restrained monotone. That’s probably a good thing when discussing matters of great moment.
So Isreal has always spoken about it’s precarious security situation in an Arab dominated region. But who is the military power there…you guessed it, Israel backed by the US. Who has made incursions into Lebanon, Syria and Iran lately? Israel of course with no retaliatory consequences.
Are the Arab nations coalescing on their borders to destroy them as a result? No. Indeed they are calling for the demise of Hamas and return of the hostages. Surely a win for the Israelis that they have never had previously.
It is Israel bossing the middle east and has done for a long time, and any confected suggestion that their security situation is perilous is just PR nonsense to validate their actions which right now are to eradicate the people and state of Palestine for their own benefit.
As for Netanyahu and his far right extremist buddies, the people of Israel will deal with him I hope and restore Israel’s reputation internationally. Good on Albo and the government for calling out an unacceptable and hugely upsetting situation for what it is.
So well said Tim
If only the international media could report from inside Palestine, in both Gaza & the West Bank! A leader who denies such access & transparency leaves the valid impression that he has much to hide.
Australia has no ‘shared values’ with the current Israeli Government or the Trump administration. I’m proud that we have a leader prepared to say “No more” to Netanyahu & his cruel genocide & mutilation of innocent people, especially children in Gaza & respected Palestinian journalists in West Bank. Freedom for Palestine.
Agree Merri
It’s a pity that Albo, the little grey dormouse, didn’t show the same backbone. Now that they have a substantial landslide and mandate for progressive and strong policies under their belt, rather than sucking up to Gilead, with its fanatically racist Sinophobia, and bigoted Islamophobia, as Richard Marles, who seems to be a right wing cold war warrior who has travelled through time from the 1950s/60, to our time, seems very keen to do, (and largely created by Genocidal Joe Biden), so allowing Daffy Donald Dump to win a khaki presidential election. This makes Gilead (aka the USA). Still, the planet’s No. 1 rogue state, by the way, both little grey dormouse canary coloured Labour jellyfish and the simple superstitious Sus(s)as/dopey Dave toxic totalitarian LNP Political gangsters, are enthusiastically complicit in making Australia a henchman and hitman for the gangsters running Gilead. Don’t forget that it was that gutless amoeba and unlamented piece of fish food, Harold Holt, who said, “All the way with LBJ”, so getting us into the disastrous Vietnam quagmire. The only results from our slavish arse licking to Gilead, which is the world’s number 1 rogue state in both its mendacity and brutal imperialist aggression, (before that it was the geriatric Colonel Blimp run and controlled UK, whose smelly brown stained backside we licked!!!), have been uncritical and unquestioning involvement in wars designed to promote and protect Gilead imperialist and capitalist interests from Korea, through to Vietnam. Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Palestine, against people who are not our enemies and who are no threat to us.
Netanyahu? I’ll leave him to those who care. But Cash and Ley? Are they still totally deaf to the Australian electorate? With their comments do they think they are going to attract one new voter? Stop parroting the Murdoch line. No one is listening to either the Liberals or Murdoch. Do they want the ALP to break the hundreds seat mark?