I am looking at the newspapers and television news watching anti-antisemitism at Australian universities and I am frankly shocked. I believe Palestine, along with Israel has the right to exist, this is a complicated situation here. There are some viewpoints being pushed by organisations such as Hamas and their proxies on social media, in the community and especially on university campuses. So I am not surprised when I read about pro-Palestinian organisations targeting the universities around the world.

I was appalled at the October 7 surprise attack of Israel, I was not the only one, it was a shocking attack. Watching the young people flee the music festival, they were running for their lives. Those that got to their vehicles were then ambushed on the road out. The sexual violence directed towards the captured Israeli women was nothing short of barbaric, I cannot believe anyone would seek to defend sexual assault, gang rape and mutilation of women. There are even apologists seeking to deflect and deny these events occurred in much the same way holocaust deniers operate.

Women were abducted, raped by multiple men and received injuries related to sexual torture and extreme and barbaric violence. Anyone who supports war crimes of sexual abuse and objectification of women are appalling. The New York Times published a very well researched article based on the sexual abuse of women during the October 7 attacks, the savagery of these attacks against women are beyond denial. Women were targeted, the plans of Hamas involved the kidnapping of women, sexual violence and barbarity of these Hamas fighters must not be explained away.

There was never a chance of Israel not responding. The whole Israeli defensive doctrine is based on immediate and disproportionate action. So I ask, was anyone surprised with the Israeli response? You can be sure Israel will retaliate and that retaliation will be extremely forceful, there will be no half measures here. They can forget their silly from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free slogans. Palestine needs to be free of Hamas, then they will be fully free from tyranny.