Monday 4 August 2025

Topics: Israel & Gaza, Harbour Bridge protest

E&OE.......................

PETER STEFANOVIC: Terror group Hamas released a series of videos over the weekend that featured Israeli hostages, one of whom was an emaciated 24 year old who appeared to be digging his own grave inside Gaza's vast underground network of tunnels. Joining us live now, liberal Senator Dave Sharma. Dave, thanks for your time this morning. So we have seen plenty of starving children, Palestinian children, in recent weeks, none like this, though, of Israeli hostages. Goes to show, doesn't it, that this conflict is not just in one direction as some folks see it.

DAVE SHARMA: Well, I watched the video of that Israeli hostage, and it was appalling to see. I mean, he's clearly being deprived of food as well, I know other parts of the civilian population in Gaza too. But to see him, you know, in the act of digging his own grave, as he said it, I think shows the depths to which Hamas will stoop to basically weaponize the holding of hostages, to put pressure on the Israeli public, to put pressure on the international community. But this is the sort of actor we are dealing with, with Hamas. And the responsibility for this conflict continues to lie with Hamas. That started it on the 7th of October. That could bring it to an end if it chose to release the hostages at any point in time.

PETER STEFANOVIC: Yeah, I mean, I asked this question of a guest earlier. I mean, why would it do it? Because Hamas was winning the PR war, if you want to put it that way, by just allowing Israel to do its own thing. Why would it publicise, you know, this version of psychological warfare when it, when it really didn't need to?

DAVE SHARMA: Well, look, I think, to be blunt, I think the audience here is the public in Israel and Hamas is trying to put pressure on the Netanyahu government to basically cease its operations because the families of the hostages and those campaigning for the release of the hostages in Israel is a significant and growing political force. And obviously a video like this, um, you know, pulls at their heartstrings very much. So I think they are using it to try and pressure the Netanyahu government to basically agree to a ceasefire on Hamas’ terms, one that would leave Hamas in power and in control of the Gaza Strip.

PETER STEFANOVIC: And, you know, coincidentally, it came not long after the Middle East envoy from the White House arrived in Gaza.

DAVE SHARMA: That's right. And look, the reports I'm getting are that Hamas has basically changed the terms of its demands for the ceasefire. So, the report's overnight now want to see the recognition of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, with Hamas in control as the price for any ceasefire agreement. Now, clearly that is not something that the international community could agree to or that Israel could agree to.

PETER STEFANOVIC: Dave, just with our foreign Minister sending another 20 million over to Gaza, do you take any issue with another $20 million worth of aid being sent?

DAVE SHARMA: No, I don't have any problem with humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza. I don't know if money is so much the issue as the means and mechanisms and delivery and making sure that Hamas is not commandeering the aid and making sure that it's getting to the population in Gaza. But with that in mind, I don't have a problem with Australia doing our bit to alleviate human suffering in Gaza.

PETER STEFANOVIC: What about the protests that took place? We've heard from Melbourne, we've heard from Sydney over the weekend. Huge turnout on the Harbour Bridge. How did you feel about that happening yesterday? You know, upwards of 100,000 people, but, you know, the big, famous, iconic Sydney landmark being used as a backdrop.

DAVE SHARMA: Look, I respect the right of people to protest, but I was opposed to this protest going ahead. I think Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, did the right thing by trying to prevent it. Clearly, the court reached another decision and we need to respect that. But what makes me uncomfortable is, these protesters are not campaigning against, really, a change in Australian government policy or about a condition or a social crisis in Australia. They're campaigning about a conflict overseas. And one of the things we've tried to do through this and many other foreign conflicts is stop the importation of foreign conflicts, make sure they're not allowed to be brought into Australia. So, you know, I remember a protest over the Harbour Bridge. I think it was in favour of a national apology to the stolen generation. An Australian domestic political issue, where Australian domestic political actors have agency. This is a protest about an overseas conflict. As was to be expected, there were radical elements amongst those protesters. I don't think you could avoid that with a protest this size. And I don't like the idea of a major piece of infrastructure being disrupted for people to campaign about something that's going on overseas over which Australians have very little influence.

PETER STEFANOVIC: So what do you think's behind it, then? What's behind that push to do it on this occasion, and there?

DAVE SHARMA: Well, I think the organiser is someone that Chris Minns described as a professional protester. I mean, this is you know, someone from the radical socialist left. They’re the same organisers who've been arranging weekly protests in Hyde park and the CBD of Sydney and of Melbourne as well. For them, it's about attention to their cause and this is what they do. They're professional activists. But, you know, I don't think the entirety of Sydney should pay the price for professional activists to indulge their hobby.

PETER STEFANOVIC: All right, that's Liberal Senator Dave Sharma. Thanks, as always, for your time, Dave.

[END]