An Israeli government minister has labeled the thousands of Australians who marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to protest the killings in Gaza as “naive” and “useful idiots” for Hamas. Sharren Haskel, Israel’s deputy foreign affairs minister, during a Friday interview on ABC radio, claimed there is no “real famine” in Gaza despite global humanitarian experts and the UN reporting deaths from malnutrition and starvation. Haskel criticized Australia’s pledge to recognize a Palestinian state and pointed out the presence of an Iranian leader’s poster at the protest. The Palestine Action Group, which organized the march, rejected Haskel’s claims, arguing that the marchers are not naive but instead, are outraged by their government’s inaction. Haskel also downplayed the severity of the hunger crisis in Gaza, contrasting the situation with a “real humanitarian crisis” she witnessed in Sudan. The move to recognize a Palestinian state by Australia followed similar actions from other countries and came after a large-scale protest in Sydney. American ambassador Mike Huckabee expressed disappointment with western countries supporting Palestinian recognition, claiming it had hurt negotiations with Hamas.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/15/sydney-harbour-bridge-protest-israel-minister-sharren-haskel-comments-ntwnfb
