Monday marked one year since the horrendous October 7 attacks, in which Hamas terrorists stormed southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and injuring more than 3,500.
The world is still reeling from the barbaric acts of torture, sexual assault and beheadings perpetrated by Hamas that day against Israeli men, women and children. Around 100 of the 250 Israelis kidnapped at the time are still being held hostage.
October 7 represents the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust in World War II.
Many Jewish groups held vigils around Australia this week in memory of the victims, with Christians also showing strong support.
The first anniversary of the event has also attracted the interest of pro-Palestinian protesters, who gathered in many capital cities to condemn Israel for its response. Among such groups, it is now commonplace to see flags flown in support of Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which are proscribed terrorist organisations according to the Australian Government.
Australian Christians stands unequivocally with Israel on the anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
We long for peace in the Middle East, which which is why AC is vocal in our support of the only democratic state in the region — the nation of Israel. We condemn the ongoing attacks against Israel, and we pray for a deescalation of violence and an end to the war.
At a time when many politicians and media outlets equivocate, pretending there is a moral equivalence between Israel and her enemies, we believe Christians must speak with courage and clarity on this conflict.
The reality is that most mainstream Australians do not equivocate on this issue. As reported by the Spectator Australia this week:
A poll this week by the left-leaning Nine newspapers shows that the same ‘mainstream conservative majority’ exists in favour of Israel, or rather, more specifically, not in favour of the anti-Israel demonstrations that have blighted our inner-cities for the past year. 59 per cent do not support those demonstrations, 41 per cent do.
We of course mourn for the innocent Palestinians who have lost their lives in the resulting war. However, it is crucial to note that, while the IDF has sought to minimise casualties, the self-declared aim of Hamas has been to terrorise and maximise suffering.
Likewise, while pro-Palestinian protesters have a democratic right to make their concerns heard, their decision to rally on the anniversary of the attacks displays a callous disregard for the victims of October 7, and even a perverse approval of the attack.
We likewise express our disappointment at the speech given by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the anniversary of the attacks.
While Mr Albanese condemned Hamas, he also accused Israel of creating a humanitarian crisis. In addition, he cited unverified statistics from the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry claiming a Palestinian death toll of over 40,000.
Trying to please all sides might work for some political issues, but it is an inappropriate goal in relation to a terrorist organisation. At this time, Australia needs national leaders who stand up for what is right without flinching.
Australian taxpayers also deserve a better deal from the public broadcasters they fund. The ABC and the SBS consistently produce “journalism” on the Israel-Hamas war that weaponises sympathy in favour of Israel’s aggressors, and presents Israel as being at least as culpable as Hamas for the violence and bloodshed of the past year.
Clearly, the political and media elites in our country are out of touch.
Australian Christians understands the heartbeat of this country and we are ready to represent the concerns of the common sense majority.
