Peter Stefanovic, Host: You're watching First Edition on this Monday morning, folks. Well, by any measure, it was a huge turnout in Sydney yesterday as up to 100,000 pro-Palestinian protesters braved the rain to wave Palestinian flags and anti-Israel signs. And this morning, the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, has committed another $20 million worth of aid for Gaza. Joining us live now on this Monday morning is the Assistant Foreign Minister, Matt Thistlethwaite, and the Liberal Senator, Maria Kovacic. Good morning to you both. Matt, we'll start off with you there. With this money that's been given by your boss, who's it going to?
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minster for Foreign Affairs and Trade: Thanks, Pete. Yeah, there's $20 million that's going to organisations basically to provide food relief, medical supplies, and field hospitals. So, roughly shared evenly amongst the Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme and the Jordanian Hashemite Charity to provide that food, those medical supplies and field hospitals that are desperately needed to people.
Stefanovic: So, is UNWRA amongst that as well?
Assistant Minster: No, the funding that goes to UN is to the UN World Food Programme and that's consistent with other aid that Australia and the United Kingdom has provided. We're doing this in concert with our partner countries that we've tried to work with around this conflict to ensure that it goes to organisations that have expertise and can deliver that much needed food on the ground.
Stefanovic: Ok, Maria, does the Opposition support this?
Maria Kovacic, Liberal Senator for NSW: We support supporting the people in Palestine who need food. There are children there that are starving and that is something that, you know, is important, that food and aid gets in. What we are concerned about, though, however, is the fact that Hamas, the terrorist organisation, is still there. We can't normalise them as being a part of governing any future state of Palestine. They need to basically leave that area and allow aid to get through and allow the release of the hostages so that we can have a peaceful outcome.
Stefanovic: But just as for that extra aid contribution, though, you take no issue with that?
Kovacic: I haven't seen the detail of it. On the surface, it appears to be a reasonable thing.
Stefanovic: Let's get to these protests on the weekend. We've got a couple of Sydneysiders on the programme today, so it's good to talk about, but the fact that, you know, you've got such an iconic landmark, such as the Harbour Bridge, being used as a backdrop for anti-Israel protests. Maria, I'll start with you this time. Your response to that, whether you're comfortable with it.
Kovacic: I don't think it's ok for us to close down a piece of critical infrastructure in our city for a protest. I think everybody does have the right to peaceful protest in our country. That's part of our democracy here. I have concerns, as did the NSW police, in relation to the safety of that protest, and they were concerned about calamitous outcomes there. And it's a good thing that that did not occur. But again, we need to look at the reality of what is transpiring in Gaza. And as I've just noticed, there is a terrorist regime, Hamas, a terrorist organisation that is controlling Gaza. They too are involved in blocking aid into Gaza. They trade in human suffering, they trade in human misery. And we've also seen the very disturbing video this morning of the Israeli hostage digging his own grave. I think that is something we need to focus on in particular as to who we are dealing with here. This is the reality of the circumstances.
Stefanovic: And when you see that image, Matt, and it is disturbing, of the Israeli hostage, who is, according to the video, digging his own grave, I mean, when you see that, do you feel like you and the Prime Minister are justified in not declaring a state of Palestine yet?
Assistant Minster: It's sickening and it's shocking. And I think that that's the reason why we haven't declared a Palestinian statehood, because we believe that Hamas cannot be involved at all in the management of a Palestinian state. This is a terrorist organisation. And that showed through in that sickening video that was posted on the weekend. And that's why we've said that Hamas cannot be involved. We certainly want to see two states existing side by side in peace, but if you're going to get a lasting peace, you can't have an organisation like that involved.
Stefanovic: So, just your response to this protest in Sydney on the weekend, Matt? I mean, Israel's Foreign Minister has given that a crack this morning, highlighting an image of Iran's supreme leader that was held aloft in the crowd. Is a phone call between Anthony Albanese and Benjamin Netanyahu being pursued? And how does that protest help?
Assistant Minster: A phone call is being pursued. I don't believe that people should have been displaying photos of the Ayatollah Khamenei. I think that that's provocative. Nonetheless, Australians have the right to protest. And as long as you do it peacefully and in accordance with the law, which is what occurred on the weekend, then every Australian has the right to protest. And the fact that there was 90,000 people there, I think does demonstrate the frustration of the Australian public regarding this ongoing conflict, particularly the starvation of children. And those images that we've seen in our newspapers and on the television, I think, were the reason why you saw so many Australians turn out on the weekends.
Stefanovic: How likely do you think that phone call is, though, Matt, given the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu has shared his frustration publicly in recent months because of the rise in antisemitism in Australia?
Assistant Minster: We've certainly acted to combat antisemitism here in Australia. And a whole host of measures that we've taken, including Jillian Segal's report that's been received by the Government, we're working through those recommendations. Nonetheless, Anthony Albanese is willing to speak to Benjamin Netanyahu to make sure that the views of the Australian Government and the Australian people are clear to the Israeli Government. We've said all along that we want the hostages released, we want a ceasefire, and we want a lasting peace through two states, and that hasn't changed.
Stefanovic: How do you think our relationship is with Israel at the moment, Maria?
Kovacic: Look, I think we've got some challenges in terms of how we navigate what is currently happening there. I think we have been a supporter of Israel's right to defend itself, but obviously what is occurring in Gaza in relation to aid not being able to get in and people struggling to feed their children is not ok. But ultimately, we can't also lose sight of the fact that we are dealing with a terrorist organisation in Hamas, and they could release the hostages that they have, they could down their weapons and this would be over. And the question needs to be asked why they refuse to do that. They refuse to do that because the outcome for them is better when they do actually have a conflict.
Stefanovic: Yeah. And they've got those hostages as bargaining chips. That's right. Well, Maria and Matt, we're out of time. Thank you. We'll chat to you again next week.