The Labor MP Ed Husic has suggested the Israeli strikes on Iran that sparked the latest Middle East conflict were not justified, breaking ranks from his senior colleagues to criticise the Netanyahu government.
The former cabinet minister also expressed alarm about a “fraying of the rules-based order” after the US bombedIran, departing from the government’s explicit support of Donald Trump’s intervention.
“It’s up to us and other countries like ours to argue [for the international rules-based order] … if it means standing up to the US and arguing our case we should do so,” Husic told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing on Wednesday.
The Albanese government was careful not to criticise Israel after it launched a wave of missile strikes on Iran on 13 June, repeatedly referencing the country’s right to defend itself against Tehran’s potential nuclear threat.
After a statement on Sunday from an unnamed government spokesperson noted the strikes, Anthony Albanese and the foreign minister, Penny Wong, also endorsed the US’ subsequent bombings of three Iranian nuclear facilities, arguing the targeted strikes were necessary to prevent the regime developing a nuclear weapon.
International law experts condemned both sets of attacks as unlawful under the UN charter. Israel and Iran have since agreed to a ceasefire, although the truce appears fragile, with Trump condemning both sides for violating it.
Husic - the first Muslim cabinet minister - said the situation was complex, arguing there was “no black and white … all I see is grey”.
He said Iran was no “cleanskin”, highlighting the regime’s support for terrorism through proxies, its detention of academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert and refusal to not develop nuclear weapons.
But that, he said, did not justify its attack on Iran.
“Did that give Israel the license to act, the Netanyahu government the license to act unilaterally, to begin bombing Iran? I don’t think it did,” Husic said.
“If regional neighbours acted in the way that the Netanyahu government did in terms of launching unilateral action, the Israeli government would rightly be outraged.”
The comments marks Husic’s latest intervention since his dumping to the backbench after he criticised his own government’s response toIsrael’s blockade of aid into Gaza.
While he did not explicitly back the view of international law experts and the grassrootsLabor against War groupwhen asked if the US bombings were lawful, Husic was critical of the US’ “unilateral action”.
“We’ve seen in times past where, if you don’t build international support in taking action, particularly in the Middle East, how that ends up. And the US has paid a heavy price for that,” he said.
Husic referenced the stance of the late formerLabor leader Simon Crean,who opposed sending Australian troops to the Iraq war.
Asked if the relationship with the US needed to be reviewed, Husic said Australia’s historic connection with its ally doesn’t mean “we have to agree with everything that they do”.
“We should stand on the basis of our national interests,” he said.
“My big concern in terms of what we’ve been seeing is a fraying of the rules-based order.
“That means something to middle-order powers like ours, because you can’t simply have strong nations decide that they’ll do what they want without regard to international opinion by virtue of their strength.”