Remarks by Senator Dean Smith at a Peace Rally for Israel

1 November 2015

Thank you for the chance to be here today at this important gathering, to show our support for Israel and say it is not good enough for the world to ignore what has been a despicable campaign of incitement, of violence and of murder against the citizens of that democratic state.
Australia is a stanch supporter of the state of Israel. We have been a strong supporter of Israel since its creation, and that support has flowed from governments of both political hues.

This is not a partisan issue, and I’m very pleased to have been joined here today by my WA Labor Senate colleague, Senator Joe Bullock.

Because however Australians choose to vote come election time, there are certain values that unite us.

And chief among those is our enduring belief that the citizens of a democratic nation have the right to live peacefully and be secure within their own borders.

What has been occurring recently, with the campaign of incitement to violence and the murder of Israeli citizens at the hands of terrorists offends every value that decent Australians hold dear.

No Australian of conscience could possibly hold sympathy with or defend the outrageous behaviour of some Palestinian clerics, who actively encourage their followers to murder Jews at random on the streets of Afula, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

No Australian of conscience could possibly support the words of Palestinian President Abbas – a self-proclaimed ‘moderate’ – who has told his people that “every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem is pure”, and said that murderers will be “rewarded by God”.

No Australian of conscience should be happy with a situation where new generations of Palestinians are having their minds poisoned through vile, anti-Semitic propaganda campaigns that only serve to make the already difficult goal of peace even more unlikely.

And to those Australians who think that what is happening in Israel is a long way away and doesn’t affect them, I simply point out that the values for which Israel stands – personal freedom and democracy above all else – are also the values for which Australia stands, and which Australians have fought and died to protect for generations.

I am proud to be here today with all of you, to stand with Israel and to say we reject the campaigns of hatred and of violence against Israeli citizens by the enemies of freedom and democracy.

Senator Dean Smith

Since becoming a Senator for Western Australia in May 2012, Dean Smith has been a strong voice for WA, and an active champion of WA regional interests, especially in the areas of telecommunications, road infrastructure and aged care.

He also took the initiative of reaching out to the WA Jewish Community, meeting our leaders and expressing his admiration and support for the community and for Israel.

In October 2015, he was elected to the position of Government Deputy Whip in the Senate.

He is very active in Parliamentary Committees on Public Works, Human Rights, Finance and Public Administration, the National Broadband Network, Northern Australia, and Public Accounts and Audit.

Senator Smith is a fervent believer in limited government, promoting personal responsibility and liberty, and strengthening Australian Federalism. Beginning in January 2015, he has been a regular columnist in Australia’s leading business and financial newspaper, The Australian Financial Review.

Prior to entering the Senate he had almost 25 years’ experience working across both State and Federal Governments. He worked as Principal Policy Adviser to former WA Premier Richard Court, an Adviser to former Prime Minister John Howard and various Federal Government Ministers.

Senator Smith also has 10 years commercial experience as a senior executive with Insurance Australia Group (IAG), and SingTel Optus.