Why has Australia not sanctioned Israel?

Albanese tries the domestic political line – that he doesn’t go for slogans – but he is pulled into the question about how sanctions would actually make a statement, rather than just the words contained in a statement.

Albanese:

They don’t call for that, that is the point. What we have from some of the campaign that has taken place is slogans. And what we are about is meaningful action. … Just like the people who call my office – because my office to be shut down once again last Friday by throwing balloons full of fish oil and staff in an office that means my staff had to abandon it, a great cost to the Commonwealth, and means no constituents can get service – that doesn’t advance it.

We do not send arms to Israel. We do not. We have sanctioned ministers in a democratic government. Putin’s regime is not a democratic government. It is an authoritarian regime. There is considerable opposition in Israel as well to the actions of the Netanyahu government. They are a democracy and we have, I think, taken appropriate action and it has been, as I say, sanctioning ministers in a democratic government. If you can point to a comparison where that has occurred, I would be happy to hear it.