Israel Ambassador Faces Expulsion Demand as Six Australians Remain Held Captive on Aid Flotilla
- Greens leader Larissa Waters calls for Israel’s ambassador to Australia to be expelled unless the six detained Australians are released
- The Australians were part of a 42-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla attempting to break the Gaza aid blockade when they were intercepted by Israel
- Senator Waters slammed the Labor government’s response, saying “I haven’t heard a peep” from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Foreign Minister Penny Wong
In a dramatic escalation of the diplomatic crisis, Greens leader Larissa Waters has demanded the expulsion of Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, unless he helps secure the release of six Australians detained on an aid flotilla in Israel.
Senator Waters made the bold call on Sunday, accusing Israel of “illegally” abducting the Australians and criticising the Labor government’s response as inadequate. “I haven’t heard a peep” from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Foreign Minister Penny Wong, she lamented.
The Australians were on-board the intercepted 42-vessel Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to break the aid blockade into Gaza. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed five Australian citizens have been detained, with another person understood to be a dual Australian-US citizen.
“If the ambassador is not prepared to do that, we should be expelling the Israeli ambassador,” Senator Waters declared. “Our government should be doing everything it can to get our citizens home safely. Surely, that’s their one job.”
The move would be unprecedented, with Australia only expelling an ambassador once before – the former Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi in August. However, Senator Waters believes the stakes are too high to ignore. “We need to make sure that our ambassador in Gaza is getting those citizens back and shepherding them to safety,” she urged.
Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Matt Thistlethwaite has expressed deep concern over Israeli drone attacks on the flotilla and called on all parties to “respect international law and international humanitarian law”. However, Senator Waters believes more drastic action is needed to secure the Australians’ release.
The diplomatic fallout could be significant, with Israel likely to expel Australia’s consulate staff and ambassador Ralph King from the country if the Israeli ambassador is kicked out. However, Senator Waters is adamant that the Australian government must take a stronger stance to protect its citizens.