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.
“We’ve tolerated this for too long,” Husic told Guardian Australia.
“We’ve issued statements, and they’ve been important in terms of flagging our view, but at some point the statements have got to end and the action needs to begin.”
Husic said there was growing disquiet about Israel among Labor MPs, including after Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, taunted detained flotilla activists last week. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, called in Israel’s ambassador over the incident, while she and prime minister Anthony Albanese have condemned the actions.
Israel has denied allegations of mistreatment, claiming all prisoners and detainees were held “in accordance with the law”.
The Israeli ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, said last week the detained flotilla members were handled with “great sensitivity”.
Ben-Gvir was sanctioned by Australia in June 2025 for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Outspoken since returning to the backbench after the 2025 election, Husic said Australia and the international community had been warned about potential genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
“I am concerned that history will not look favourably on us and members in the international community that failed to act with vigour when they were warned.
“We know our obligations under the genocide convention.”
Israel has rejected the charge of genocide, citing its right to self-defence after the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. The subsequent war in Gaza has killed more than 64,000 people, mostly civilians, and injured more than 160,000.
Speaking after the defence minister, Richard Marles, explained Australia’s position in a Labor caucus meeting this week, Husic said Israel’s bombing campaign in southern Lebanon and its role in the war in Iran was destabilising the international environment.
He called for Australia to work with the European Union to coordinate tougher sanctions, now former Hungarian leader Viktor Orban was out of power. Earlier this month, EU members agreed to impose new sanctions on Israeli settlers and leading Hamas figures.
“I’ve said we should just ban any trade with illegal settlements, because we’re effectively propping them up,” Husic said. “I’ve said that the defence cooperation that we do with them should end, particularly considering that ICJ has taken a view of plausible genocide.
“Longer term, if that is upheld, it will be a source of profound embarrassment for us.”
In November 2024, the defence department confirmed it had amended or lapsed at least 16 defence-related export permits to Israel as part of a review of 66 “active” exports at the time.
Marles defended Australia’s participation in the international F-35 fighter jet program this week, including Australian-made parts included in the supply chain for Israeli jets.
Australia is party to the Joint Strike Fighter Program, meaning companies within the country supply F-35 parts and components as part of a global supply chain agreement.
Husic said the government was hiding behind the complexity of that arrangement. Guardian Australia reported on Tuesday that Marles told Labor MPs the F-35 capability was “at the heart” of the Royal Australian Air Force’s operations and restricting trade with Israel would be challenging due to treaty obligations.
“Enough is enough,” Husic said. “We should just say we are not going to supply those parts.”
He called for the Australian federal police and the defence force to track dual nationals, returning from Israel – if they had been involved in the conflict – over concerns about their behaviour, including possible targeting of pro-Palestinian campaigners.
“I’ve said, it is time to establish a red line. There are a list of things we could do, and we should start looking to do them,” Husic said.
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