Senator WONG (South Australia—Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate) (15:19): I think we all understand why Senator Birmingham is doing this. This is not a domestic political fight. We stand for both Israel and Palestine. We believe in a two-state solution, and we do not believe that the sort of domestic politics that you are playing is any better than the sort of domestic politics we've seen from the Australian Greens. I will seek leave to move an amendment to the motion to add the words 'and the recognition of the state of Palestine as part of a peace process in support of a two-state solution and a just and enduring peace'. Yes, we do affirm, as I have previously, that all states, including the State of Israel, have an inherent right to self-defence. The PRESIDENT: I just remind you: you will be foreshadowing the motion. Senator WONG: Yes. We do believe that. I have also said from the start that that right is not absolute. Every state has limitations on that right, as is expressed in international law. Even in war there are rules. That is our principal position. Senator McKenzie: But only one side is playing by the rules. Senator WONG: No! I will take that interjection. We are democracies— Honourable senators interjecting— Senator WONG: We are democracies—Israel is a democracy—and we hold ourselves to higher standards than do terrorist entities. The PRESIDENT: Order! Minister Wong, please resume your seat. I remind the chamber that just a few minutes ago I had to stand to get order in this place. I have never had to do that before, and, Senator McKenzie, it was partly because of your constant, rude and disrespectful interjections. When Senator Birmingham was on his feet, the chamber listened in respectful silence, and the minute Senator Wong got to her feet, suddenly there were lots of interjections, primarily from you. You will listen in silence, or you can choose to leave the chamber. Minister Wong, please continue. Senator WONG: We should be unashamedly working for peace, not working for domestic political advantage or tactical advantage in the chamber or to put pressure on one or other side. There are 40,000 people who have lost their lives in this conflict. We have seen the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. And there are people in this chamber who want to play domestic politics with it. I think it is abominable—I really do—and I think Australians out there want us to work for peace. Now, we may have different views about where moral weight lies. There are different views in this chamber, but what I would say to you is that we should all be advocating for peace, and that requires a two-state solution. That is what it requires. There is no peace without progress on two states. That is, I think, demonstrably true given what we have seen over decades and what we see now. What I say here is the same message that I say to every party with whom I deal. I don't have one message for one group and another message for another group. So I would hope that this Senate could show some maturity. There are people who have different views. We have heard them in the chamber. We have seen them in the chamber. When I seek to speak, I speak on behalf of Australia, not on behalf of any country or group. That is what I seek to do, and that is what my colleagues seek to do. We should be arguing for ceasefire and for the return of hostages. We should be arguing always for international law to be observed. We should be arguing for de-escalation. We should not be seeking to escalate the conflict overseas or here by our rhetoric and by our action, and too many in this place have been seeking to do that. So I foreshadow that I will move an amendment, and I indicate that the government will support the suspension to enable this matter to be voted on, and I now move: That the question be now put. The PRESIDENT: The question is that the question be put. Question agreed to. The PRESIDENT: The question is that the suspension as moved by Senator Birmingham be agreed to