Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Senator for Western Australia
TRANSCRIPT
Sky News with Kieran Gilbert
8 August 2025
Topics: Netanyahu decision to occupy Gaza; Palestinian woman’s visa
E&OE
Kieran Gilbert
I’m joined by Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Michaelia Cash. You’ve heard what he’s had to say and the government. Penny Wong says Israel should not go down this path. That’s what the federal government has said, that it’s going to worsen the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. What does the opposition say?
Senator Cash
Well, let’s be very clear, the operational tactics and how this war is conducted on the ground to bring it to an end is ultimately a matter for the Israeli government. Let’s not forget either Kieran that the Israelis are in the situation today because Hamas started this war. But even since that time, since October the seventh, 2023 Hamas has refused to properly participate in the peace negotiations. I mean, most recently, the peace discussions in or the ceasefire discussions in Doha have come to an end, because, yet again, Hamas refuses to participate. But what are we all very, very clear on? We all want the war to end. We all want the killing of civilians to stop. We all want the hostages to be released, but that could actually happen tomorrow. And I think what disturbs me more than anything is that so many now, but in particular, Penny Wong, number one as the offender – they skip over this important detail – this war could end tomorrow if Hamas released the hostages and laid down their arms.
Kieran Gilbert
This is an argument, obviously, that many in Israel and beyond have made, but there are many representatives of the families whose hostages remain in the tunnels of Gaza City, who have a similar view to Penny Wong, that they don’t want escalation.
Senator Cash
I can’t begin to imagine what they are going through. Civilians on both sides being killed. None of us here at the luxury of Canberra or Australia, in all honesty, Kieran, we can be commentators, but on the ground, what we don’t know is really what’s going on. But what we do know…
Kieran Gilbert
They don’t want the escalation either.
Senator Cash
Ultimately though this is a matter, as I said, the operational tactics, the way this war is conducted, on the ground that is a matter for the Israeli government.
Kieran Gilbert
Did you support it, though?
Senator Cash
Israel must at all times, I’m a huge believer, comply with international law. But I do have the same ultimate goal, and I would hope that all Australians, including Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese – Hamas, is a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction of Israel. What does that mean? It means that, in Hamas’ view, nothing can go forward until every Israeli is dead. That happens to be a fact Kieran that people seem to gloss over. Israel has, over the decades, put forward two state solutions. They have offered Palestine a state of its own, but it has been rejected time and time again. Israel is committed, ultimately they need to be, to living side by side. Kieran, when I lived there a long, long time ago, now, I used to regularly go into the West Bank, because you could. So I’d go into Hebron. I had Palestinian friends. I had Jewish friends. Can I tell you that as a young, 23 year old, when I finally did leave Israel, what’s the one thing that’s always stayed with me, that when you talk to the average Australian and the average Palestinian, what do they want? They want peace, but when you have a group of terrorists running the Gaza Strip, whose own charter, slightly updated, says they are dedicated to the destruction of Israel, which means they will slaughter every single Israeli. Hamas must put down its arms and release the hostages.
Kieran Gilbert
This other story before you go. I want to ask you about a visa reportedly granted to an individual, but who remains offshore? What do you say to this? The government says it is taking it seriously, reported in the Herald Sun, and they are going to have the Department report back as soon as possible.
Senator Cash
Well, she shouldn’t be coming anywhere near Australia. They are weak. They are hopeless. Tony Burke, quite frankly, if the visa is not cancelled today, should step aside. He should resign. And if Mr. Albanese doesn’t insist on Tony Burke cancelling that visa today, well, that says a lot about Albanese’s priorities. This is a woman who has praised the slaughter of mums and children via Hamas. Let me be very clear. I stand with Andrew Hastie on this. If you support the slaughter by Hamas of innocent women and children and men, you don’t come anywhere near this country. And quite frankly, shame on Tony Burke. But even more so, as the Prime Minister of this country, you’re now aware of this. Anthony Albanese, what are you doing? That woman should come nowhere near this country. But I also want an investigation into how the department were in the first place even able to grant a visa to a Hamas terrorist supporter.
Recent Comments