This is the shocking price Australia could pay for Anthony Albanese's love for all things Palestinian

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s consistent support for the rights of Palestinians is hardly news, and he’s undoubtedly put Palestinian interests before Israel’s in his engagements with both that country and the Arab world. The evidence is undeniable. Albanese is a co-founder of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine group and has publicly described himself as a “strong advocate of justice for Palestinians.” As Deputy Prime Minister, he did not mince words, saying that he criticized Israel’s policies and that it was time to “apply pressure” to confront what he described as the “oppressive policies” of the Israeli government and military.

Even within his own New South Wales electorate of Grayndler, Albanese’s branch has gone so far as to accuse Israel of committing “acts of retribution on an innocent Palestinian population.” It’s clear where his loyalties lie - on the side of Palestinian advocacy, often to the detriment of Israel and its right to defend itself.

In contrast to this shameful anti-Israel bias from Albanese, Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has provided unequivocal support to the Jewish community following the mass killings by Hamas in Israel on October 7th 2023. Dutton has been on record commenting that “if we needed any more convincing of Hamas’ unashamed sadism, it’s the glee they have displayed in stating that they will film and post online the execution of those little boys and girls, of men and women." Dutton is also on record advocating for "Israel’s right to do what is necessary and needed in the circumstances with every asset available to safeguard its sovereignty, to bolster its borders, to protect its people, and to thwart threats it now faces – the existential threats. There must be no restraint shown to those who showed no restraint themselves in committing these vicious and vile acts of terrorism.”

Prime Minister Albanese's unashamed sympathy for the Palestinians has led to Australia establishing itself as the sole country in the world to accept migrants from the Gaza Strip without conducting extensive checks to ensure they pose no security threat. This is an extraordinary decision. It's a direct threat to national security and, in particular, to the safety of an already fragile Australian Jewish community. This is shameful and should be rightly condemned.

An Unprecedented Embrace of Palestinian Migrants

Since the conflict arose due to the barbaric murderous acts of Hamas towards innocent Israeli Jews on October 7th 2023, Australia has issued almost 3,000 visitor visas to Palestinians escaping the bombardment of Gaza. This is more than the total number of such visas handed out by other Western countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and France combined.

Failures in Vetting and Security Concerns

The quick granting of these visas by a very sympathetic left-wing federal government petrified of losing the Islamic vote at the upcoming election, has raised concerns about whether security checks have been sufficient. Opposition figures, notably Home Affairs spokesman James Paterson, have accused the Albanese government of offering Gazans excessive tourist visas while failing to implement appropriate security checks.

Additional issues came to light when a Palestinian man, Fayez Elhasani, was issued a visa after hosting leaders of Hamas and other terror groups at his Gaza art institute. His arrival in Australia in July raised questions about the country's visa screening process, as his ties to people and groups designated as terror organizations by Australia and its allies are of great concern. (Disclaimer: This is not a legal opinion)

Already targeted by incidences of severe anti-Semitic violence by domestic and global Islamic ideologues, the Australian Jewish communities are left with an uncertain future. The Albanese government is completely tone deaf when it comes to the security risks involved in letting in Palestinian migrants from Gaza without the required checks. It’s not just what’s humanitarian - it’s also what’s in Australia’s national security interest. The risk of Islamic radicalisation and violence in Australia, as well as violence coming into Australia must not be tolerated whichever way you look at it.  

The acceptance of Palestinians from Gaza into Australia without proper security screenings, sets a dangerous precedent. It jeopardises our cohesive multicultural fabric and places the Australian Jewish community in harm's way. It is time for the federal government to review its immigration policies to put national security and all Australians' security above everything else. Sadly, this will only get worse unless we have a change in federal government at the next election in the coming months and Peter Dutton becomes Prime Minister of Australia.