Ed Husic calls on Labor to establish ‘red line’ on Israel’s actions, including treatment of flotilla activists

Ed Husic says there’s growing disquiet about Israel among Labor MPs, including after Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, taunted detained flotilla activists. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Labor MP Ed Husic says Australia has tolerated poor behaviour from the Israeli government for too long, calling for a “red line” from Canberra including tougher sanctions, an end to defence cooperation and a block on supplying parts for the F-35 fighter jet.

Husic - the former industry and science minister – said a pattern of bad behaviour from the government of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, included mistreatment of activists from the Global Sumud Flotilla, the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and the destruction of Australian war graves.