Israeli defence personnel and politicians might not be top billing in the boardrooms and reception halls of many countries, but that hardly bothers Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart.

With a world view desiccated by inherited wealth, the mining magnate has little time for what might be broadly called the “common good”.

Rinehart does, however, have time for Israeli defence prowess. In her address to the 2024 News Corp Australia National Bush Summit, held in Port Hedland, Western Australia, the executive chair of Hancock Prospecting had “defence” on her brain.

But a closer look revealed it had little to do with Australia’s defence so much as her mining assets.

“Mindset change that is needed should include the government’s most important responsibility, and that is the defence of our country. It’s no good having the resources of the Pilbara unless we can export them and receive revenue from them, hence we should have defence to keep our railways and ports open, and our vital sea lanes.”

What, then, was needed? Rinehart promoted her vision as common good. “So, surrounding this vital Pilbara engine, we should have the protective iron domes like the ones in Israel, plus war drones and smart sea mines, plenty of them, and similarly across our sea lanes and ports and some islands, from the north-west........

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