When Israel launched its campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza last year, hundreds of thousands of Australians who support the Palestinian cause organized and attended protests, including many rank-and-file Australian Labor Party (ALP) members.

Labor prime minister Anthony Albanese did not join them. Instead, he quickly affirmed Australia’s solidarity with Israel. In an October 11 parliamentary speech, Labor foreign minister Penny Wong bolstered these sentiments, noting that in 1947, under Labor prime minister Ben Chifley, Australia was the first country to vote in favor of the UN plan to partition Palestine and formally recognize Israel. Citing Herbert “Doc” Evatt, Chifley’s foreign minister, Wong stated that “we remain as steadfast and unwavering as ever in our support for Israel.”

This response would be unremarkable for a prime minister or foreign minister from Labor’s right, and as Wong noted, Labor’s support for Israel is in keeping with the party’s record. However, both Albanese and Wong hail from the Labor Left. Indeed, Albanese cofounded the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine and, early in his political career, spoke at pro-Palestine rallies. Given this seeming paradox — and the fact that Labor’s stance is out of step with many of its rank-and-file members and voters — it’s necessary to explain the party’s support for Israel.