Remarks to the Jewish community in St Kilda
We meet today at a time of profound sorrow.
In the shadow of terrorist acts that are truly abhorrent.
We have seen unimaginable atrocities, targeting children.
The most innocent of lives, stolen in the most barbaric of ways.
Over 1,000 people in Israel have been killed, as many as 150 people taken from Israel and held hostage in Gaza.
This is the worst loss of life for Jewish people on a single day in history since the Holocaust.
A fact that bears such awful weight for a people who have known the horror of genocide.
The Government and the people of Australia condemn this attack by Hamas.
The targeting of civilians and taking of hostages is an affront to all Australians and we condemn these horrific acts.
The images we are seeing from Israel strike at every human heart but I know they fall heaviest on the Australian Jewish community.
I know many of you are spending sleepless nights waiting desperately to hear from loved ones.
Many of you have family and friends who are being called up to serve.
And many of you will fear a rise in antisemitism here at home.
I want to assure you, that kind of hateful prejudice has no place in Australia.
Our country is better than that – and our country is a better place because of you and your community.
And my government is committed to keeping the community safe.
Over thousands of years, Jewish people have summoned tremendous courage and resilience in the face of trauma.
It must feel almost unbearable to have to draw on those strengths again.
But I want to say very clearly: you are not alone.
All Australians embrace you in this time of trauma.
We cannot lighten the weight that is upon you, but we hold you in our hearts.
We grieve with you.
We will stand with Israel.
We always will.