Australia’s government is pessimistic on the prospects of a proper probe into the alleged abuse suffered by participants of a controversial aid mission to Gaza.
The frank assessment was given by Foreign Minister Penny Wong on a combustible day in the hot seat in Senate estimates on Thursday.
Questioning between senators devolved into a shouting match at different points, requiring the chair to twice shut down the session to take scheduled breaks.
Watching on were three women who joined global efforts to deliver medical support and aid by sea to the annexed territory.
Those aboard allege violence and sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s defence force, which intercepted their fleet and detained them before their eventual release.
Juliet Lamont, who alleges she was raped by an Israeli solder, wanted Senator Wong to speak about the experiences of the flotilla activists publicly.
“Something as barbaric as this needs to be talked about at every single moment and ordinary Australians need to know what happened,” she said.
Last year, the UN verified 31 cases of sexual violence by Israeli forces against Palestinians in recent hostilities, placing the country on a blacklist of countries that commit sexual violence in war zones.
“It should shock no one that we were assaulted,” another participant, Gemma O’Toole, said.
“For the rest of my life, I will have to live with the trauma in my body that reminds me what it was like to be tortured there.”
The group sought a meeting with Senator Wong, who they said gave an undertaking to meet privately.
Earlier, the foreign minister chastised Greens Senator David Shoebridge for asking during estimates whether he would meet the activists.
“I don’t respond to requests that are made in a political forum like this from a political party like yours,” she said.
Senator Wong described their alleged mistreatment as horrific and unacceptable.
Pressed by Senator David Pocock on whether she had advocated for an independent probe, the foreign minister said talks with her Israeli counterpart did not make her optimistic.
“We would want the most thorough investigation possible but we’re not the ones who are able to determine what that investigation is,” she said.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi then asked the minister if she believed the allegations, which Senator Wong said she did.
Still, Senator Faruqi wasn’t satisifed, interjecting that she had “done nothing to support these women” and was allowing “the criminals to investigate their own crimes” .
The hearing was then shut down for lunch after the chair was unable to control proceedings.
Earlier, Senator Shoebridge sought answers on whether the foreign affairs department was failing to lodge paperwork to allow Australians to leave Gaza.
Senator Wong was aghast, accusing Senator Shoebridge of living in a “pretend universe” and “performing for social media”.
Officials revealed 415 Australian citizens, permanent residents or their immediate family had been supported to leave the war-ravaged region.
That involved a labyrinthine process including multiple Australian agencies, Israel and its occupying agency COGAT, and Jordan.
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