Ash Ambihaipahar (Barton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is an extremely distressing time for Lebanese Australians who are worried about their families and loved ones. Our message to Australians in the Middle East, including Lebanon, is clear: if you want to, leave now while commercial flights are available. We do not want to see Israel conduct a major ground offensive into Lebanon. We condemn the comments by an Israeli minister suggesting that parts of Beirut would look like Gaza. Enough of this needless pain and suffering. At the same time, Hezbollah must disarm. We support Lebanese authorities in their efforts to prohibit any military activity by Hezbollah, and we call on everyone to adhere to international humanitarian law.

In Barton so many of us live alongside Lebanese neighbours. We share our faith, schools, coffee shops and our homes. Continue standing with them during these awful times. Do not give in to the politics of hate and division. And to those in the other parties like the Greens, who say we have not spoken about Lebanon, those claims are simply not true. The Greens have got form on this—they've used misinformation to create fear and division before. Senator Shoebridge should not use this crisis for political point-scoring. The Foreign Minister has spoken about Lebanon multiple times and is urging Australians in Lebanon to register with DFAT crisis portal. We stand with our Lebanese Australian community. We oppose any major ground offensive into Lebanon and we stand united as a diverse, compassionate and proud Australian community with our Lebanese brothers and sisters here.