Albanese Supports Sending Foreign Minister Wong to Attend Auschwitz Anniversary

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended Foreign Minister Penny Wong against calls for her to withdraw from attending the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

A petition with 10,000 signatures has urged Wong not to attend, citing concerns over her previous stance on Israel and Palestine. Albanese, however, stood by Wong, highlighting her commitment to fighting discrimination and racism.

“Penny Wong is our foreign minister. She has stood up against antisemitism at each and every opportunity, and will always continue to do so,” Albanese said.

The Labor government has backed two U.N. resolutions favorable to Palestine and has also been accused of not doing enough to limit the impact of antisemitism in Australia.

Albanese praised Wong’s character, stating, “She’s someone for whom a core belief in the dignity of every human being is just a part of her character, as much as any person I have met in my entire life.”

Wong is set to attend the commemoration in Poland next week, representing Australia alongside Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, who is Jewish and whose family has personal ties to the Holocaust.

Wong’s Visit ‘Insensitive’: Dutton

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton criticized Wong’s attendance, arguing that it would be insensitive given the Albanese government’s stance on Israel’s war in Gaza.

“I think when we have the Jewish community living in fear in our country and when you see the stance and the rhetoric that has been espoused by Penny Wong and by the prime minister… [he] should reverse the decision of Penny Wong to go,” Dutton told ABC news.

He added, “The relationship with Israel has been trashed. Penny Wong can’t go to Israel, and Mark Dreyfus was there under sufferance and … I don’t think he would have been receiving the warmest of welcomes.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles dismissed the criticism on Channel 9, stating he could not understand why Dutton was “trying to politicize the issue of opposing antisemitism.”

Petition Pushes for Wong Not to Attend

A petition led by educator Janet Sernack, which has garnered 12,000 signatures, argues that Wong is not the right person to represent the Jewish community.

“Unfortunately, we feel strongly that Senator Penny Wong is not the right person to represent us at this critical juncture,” the petition states.

It further claims that Wong has failed to demonstrate compassion at a time of rising antisemitism in Australia.

Albanese highlighted his government’s efforts to combat antisemitism, pointing to immediate condemnation of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“On October 8, at 9 a.m. I was on the [ABC] Insiders program. I condemned the action unequivocally. I said then that Israel had a right to defend itself,” he said.

The prime minister also cited legislative measures, including outlawing Nazi symbols and establishing Australia’s first envoy on antisemitism.

“We’ve increased funding, not once but twice, for security issues, and agreed to every request which has been made.”

Referring to comments by ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess, Albanese emphasized the importance of social cohesion.

Burgess, speaking in October 2024 at a summit on online extremism, warned about the dangers of digital radicalization and its impact on national security.

“As a nation, we need to reflect on why some teenagers are hanging Nazi flags and portraits of the Christchurch killer on their bedroom walls, and why others are sharing beheading videos in the schoolyard and, more concerningly, why there are young Australians willing to kill in the name of their beliefs,” he said.