There was a time when major Australian political parties understood that terrorism was not something to be romanticized, excused, or sanitized. That line, however, vanished entirely at the Victorian Labor conference this weekend.

Delegates passed a motion demanding the release of Marwan Barghouti, a man serving five life sentences plus 40 years for his role in terrorist attacks during the Second Intifada. These were not symbolic offences or political technicalities. Innocent civilians were murdered in bombings and shootings orchestrated during a campaign of terror that left Israelis dead in cafes, streets and restaurants. Ask the family of Australian Malki Roth, who was killed when a terrorist blew up the Sbarro café in Jerusalem, whether someone responsible for such atrocities should ever be released.

And let’s stop pretending the Second Intifada was merely a protest movement that somehow spiraled out of control. It was an armed uprising marked by suicide bombings, shootings and deliberate attacks on civilians. Palestinian terrorists, male and female alike, donned suicide vests before boarding buses, entering shopping centers, restaurants and nightclubs, detonating themselves among ordinary civilians. Dozens were killed in single attacks. Survivors were often left permanently scarred, blinded, burned or missing limbs. Calling it an “intifada” does not change what it was. Words matter. Terrorism does not become morally acceptable because activists adopt language that sounds revolutionary rather than barbaric.

It is also worth noting the broader diplomatic context in which some of these concerns are viewed. When Penny Wong visited Israel after the October 7 attack and engaged with the Palestinian Authority, she reaffirmed Australia’s ongoing support for........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)