E&OE
PETER DUTTON:
Colleagues, thank you very much. Amir, thank you very much for being here. As I say, the Ambassador’s a good friend to many people across both sides of the aisle in this place. He’s worked very hard during his term to represent the interests of the Jewish state and people here in the Jewish community in Australia.
Amir, what the community has gone through, what you have gone through, your family, what the State of Israel has gone through at the hands of Hamas, has truly shocked every Australian and the entire world. The depravity and the scenes that we’ve seen, the hostages – who we still pray for and we hope will be released – all of that sends a very stark reminder to the evil nature of a terrorist organization. Hamas, as we know, is akin to what we see out of ISIL, and that’s why they deserve our absolute condemnation.
So, it’s a great honour for us to have you here today. There are many people, as you know, in this room who are dear friends of Israel, have been, always will be, and perhaps you’d like to say a few words and then we can proceed from there.
So, thank you again. Please welcome the Ambassador.
AMIR MAIMON:
Thank you very much Peter for the invitation to join you today. Thank you very much for the continued support of the Liberal, and as you mention, it’s not just the Liberal, it’s a bipartisan support to the State of Israel and to the Jewish community here in Australia.
It’s, for me, and the only thing that I will say in front of the camera is that since October the 7th, 6.30 in the morning – and I was in Israel when the Hamas attack the people of Israel in the southern border – we’re in a war, a war that we didn’t start, nor ask for, but we are determined to win.
[ends]