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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Daniel Hurst

As Gaza crisis worsens, the Albanese government is on the defensive

Penny Wong Israel Gaza Hamas Australia Anthony Albanese Benjamin Netanyahu Labor United States ICJ
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, with her Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on 17 January.
The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, with her Palestinian counterpart, Riyad al-Maliki, in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, on 17 January. Photograph: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images

There was a moment at the beginning of Penny Wong’s trip to the Middle East this week when the foreign affairs minister seemed to admit Australia’s limited influence.

“Look, I don’t think Australia can come to the region demanding specific assurances,” Wong said when asked to spell out precisely what guarantees she would be seeking from her Israeli counterparts.

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