Monday, 16 June 2025

Topics: Israel-Iran conflict, antisemetism

E&OE………

KENNY HEATLEY: A US based human rights group says hundreds of people have been killed in the latest round of fighting between Israel and Iran. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Iran will pay a heavy price for civilian deaths. Joining me live now is Liberal senator and former ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma. It's good to see you, Dave. The death toll though, continues to climb on both sides. And Israel says these attacks on Iran is likely to take weeks, not days. Missiles above the skies of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv when we came into work this morning. What's your reaction to what we have been seeing?

DAVE SHARMA: Well, clearly, it's a very tense and dangerous time in the Middle East. You know, large chunks of the airspace are closed. We're seeing oil prices rise as a result of the tax on energy infrastructure. But I would also point out look. Israel and Iran have been in in in conflict for some time, for several years. And what's happened now is this conflict has been brought out into the open. Prime Minister Netanyahu said that this operation will last days and I believe it will several days until Israel feels it is sufficiently degraded or disabled or destroyed Iran's nuclear infrastructure, its ballistic missile capability and harms a significant part of its leadership. But until that our operation concludes, we'll continue to get great in retaliation against Israel. And I think it continue to be a very tense time in the region.

KENNY HEATLEY: And Foreign Minister Penny Wong has urged both sides for restraint and urged to return to dialogue and diplomacy. Then Israel's ambassador to Australia said in response, quote, words don't stop, warheads. What's your reaction to that?

DAVE SHARMA: Look, it's, it's obviously quite common for countries around the world to be calling for restraints and dialogue. But I'd just say that firstly, part of the reason for this war is the father of dialogue. There have been multiple rounds of negotiations held with Iran to try and reassure the rest of the world about its intentions with regard to its nuclear capabilities, including most recently US Iranian round of talks. And those have singularly failed to address those concerns. So unless Iran is prepared to change its red lines, if you like what it's willing to negotiate, I don't see much prospect for dialogue. And look, you know, I obviously I'm not calling for escalation, but I'm also mindful that both sides now have key national interests at stake and that will continue whilst those national interests are being prosecuted or defended.

KENNY HEATLEY: Dave, I just want to ask you about what's on the front page of the Courier Mail this morning. The an abhorrent call for Iran to just do it and wipe Israel off the map has been allowed to trend on TikTok. And that sparked condemnation of the social media giant from Australian Jewish leaders like Alex Ryvchin. How concerned are you about that?

DAVE SHARMA: Look, I hadn't, I hadn't seen the headline. I would say that whoever's calling for that, it's fanciful. That will not be happening. Israel will not be wiped off the map by Iran. But I can understand why people find it troubling and offensive. And I wasn't aware that, you know, I'm not a TikTok user so I can't pretend to know what's, what's going on there. But certainly I would not want to see tensions from this conflict play out here in Australia. I mean, we have a large number of Jewish Australians, but we also have a large number of Iranian, Australian, Persian Australians who I've met with and active in the community as well. And I, I don't expect either side of those we'll try and import this conflict in any way, but it's important that we don't allow that to happen.

KENNY HEATLEY: Do you think the Albanese government's decision to sanction to Israeli ministers could lead to further antisemitism here?

DAVE SHARMA: Look, I, I don't agree with that decision, not that I have any support for the views of those ministers, but I think those sanctions are meant to be for the most serious, the most heinous, the most concerning countries. And if we get in a situation where we begin to sanction the elected representatives of fellow democracies because they hold views with which we disagree, we're going to have a lot of people we have to sanction. And it's going to immensely complicate our state craft. But no, in and of itself, I don't think that is, you know, stocking social unrest or division here in Australia.

KENNY HEATLEY: Liberal Senator Dave Sharma, it's good to chat with this morning. Thanks so much.

DAVE SHARMA: Thanks so much, Kenny.

[ENDS]

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