Question for Penny Wong: Is Australian Citizenship Worth Anything?

When I was a diplomat, there was one principle that sat above politics, ideology and personal opinion. The Australian Government had a duty to protect its citizens. Not some citizens. Not citizens whose views they agree with. Not citizens whose activities are politically convenient. At every Embassy, we always put protecting and supporting Australian citizens first. All Australian citizens.

That’s why I find myself increasingly bewildered by Australia’s response to a series of incidents involving Australians and Israel.

In April 2024, Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom was killed in Gaza while working for World Central Kitchen. She was one of seven humanitarian workers killed in a strike that attracted global condemnation.

Last month, Australian activists captured in international waters while attempting to deliver aid to Gaza alleged that they were sexually assaulted and abused by Israeli soldiers. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has publicly stated she believes them.

These incidents come on top of Israel’s destruction of the war graves of Australian soldiers in Gaza. Each is serious in its own right. But taken together, they raise an uncomfortable question: What does it take for Australia to act to protect its citizens?

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has made awkward and cautious statements to “express concern” and “seek explanations”. But there have been no sanctions, no downgrading of diplomatic relations, no expulsions and no measures that would impose any meaningful impact on Israel.

Yes, in diplomacy there can be reasons for restraint. Governments consider alliances, intelligence relationships, trade interests and broader strategic realities. But Australians are entitled to ask whether the same level restraint would be shown elsewhere. Are Australian citizen’s lives worth less in a place like Israel than elsewhere?

If an Australian aid worker had been killed by Russia, Iran or China, would our response have looked the same? If Australian citizens alleged sexual abuse at the hands of soldiers from one of those countries, would we be limiting ourselves to expressions of concern? If Australian war graves had been bulldozed by one of those governments, would Canberra still be speaking so softly?

These aren’t rhetorical questions. They go to the heart of whether Australian citizenship carries equal weight regardless of who causes the harm.

Reasonable people can disagree about the history of Palestine, the terror of Hamas, Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and the political future of the region. But what should not be controversial is the proposition that Australian citizens lives matter equally everywhere, regardless of where they’re taken, who harms them, or the political sensitivities involved.

The Australian Government just put our passport prices up again and rightly expects us all to respect and value citizenship. Well, I reckon we citizens are entitled to ask for the same commitment in return.

Because if the killing of an Australian aid worker, sexual abuse of Australian citizens, and the destruction of Australian war graves doesn’t trigger meaningful action, then it’s fair to ask: What exactly does Australian citizenship protect us from?