Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill has defended Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s decision not to impose an import ban on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank after a dozen countries, led by the UK, imposed trade sanctions earlier this week.
“I’ve been extremely outspoken against … increasing settler violence and murder of Palestinians for many years now. This is against international law, and the current Israeli government’s policies and actions are unconscionable,” Hill told ABC’s Radio National this morning.
“The government has already taken significant steps with sanctioned Israeli ministers, with sanctioned governments, with sanctioned entities. The minister for foreign affairs has flagged publicly that there will be further measures, taking account of the circumstances, what’s happening, and of course, what our like-minded friends and partners around the world are doing.”
He said sanctions were not a measure the government took lightly, and that consideration was still under way about the suite of measures Australia would impose on Israel.
“Sanctions are ultimately an expression, a serious, powerful legal tool, an expression of our national interest, looking at the international circumstances.
“When the foreign minister signs off on new measures, she’ll announce them at that time.”
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