Albanese leaves door open to cutting support for Israel
Andrew Tillett Foreign affairs, defence correspondent Apr 8, 2024
https://www.afr.com/world/middle-ea...to-cutting-support-for-israel-20240408-p5fi2s
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has left open the prospect of cutting military-related exports to Israel following the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, tying it to the findings of the government’s newly appointed special adviser.
On Monday, the government named former Defence Force chief Mark Binskin as its special adviser on Israel’s investigation into the death of Ms Frankcom and six colleagues in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Former Defence Force chief Mark Binskin is Australia’s special adviser on Israel’s investigation into the death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom. Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Binskin will liaise with the Israeli military and provide advice to Canberra on the investigation of the incident, measures taken to hold those responsible to account and whether a further probe is warranted.
He will also advise on the Israel Defence Forces’ policies and procedures for operational incidents and preventive measures for these.
Israel’s investigation, released late on Friday, found the airstrike was a mistake. The government has fired two officers from their positions and reprimanded three senior commanders.
“The information that Israel has provided so far on its investigation hasn’t yet satisfied our expectations,” Mr Albanese told the ABC.
“Obviously it is a difficult circumstance given the conflict that is ongoing in Gaza, but we want him to have full access and we expect that from the Israeli government and the Israeli Defence Force.”
UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said over the weekend that Britain would halt arms sales to Israel if it was found to be breaching international law, but it had not passed that threshold yet.
Although the Albanese government maintains that Australia has not provided weapons to Israel for at least five years, Canberra has approved at least 322 permits for undisclosed military and dual-use goods to be exported to Israel since 2017.
Pro-Palestinian advocates have also targeted Australian defence companies that supply components to Israel, such as the F-35 fighter jet, and Australia has contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars with Israeli defence contractors.
Asked whether he would consider withdrawing Australian support in any form, Mr Albanese replied: “We’ll await Air Chief Marshal Binskin’s report to us”, but he reiterated that Australia did not send arms to Israel at present.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson welcomed Mr Binskin’s appointment but said the government was holding Israel to a higher standard, pointing out that an Australian woman, Galit Carboni, was killed in her home in a kibbutz during the October 7 terror attack.
“The Albanese government’s response to her death was not anywhere near as strong as it’s been to Zomi Frankcom’s death,” he said.
“Where were the calls for Hamas to investigate this? Where were the calls for Hamas to sack people? I think a double standard has been introduced here, and I think only the government can explain that.”
Mr Binskin, a former fighter pilot, was defence force chief between 2014 and 2018, and also led the royal commission into the 2019-20 “Black Summer” bushfires.
Andrew Tillett Foreign affairs, defence correspondent Apr 8, 2024
https://www.afr.com/world/middle-ea...to-cutting-support-for-israel-20240408-p5fi2s
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has left open the prospect of cutting military-related exports to Israel following the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, tying it to the findings of the government’s newly appointed special adviser.
On Monday, the government named former Defence Force chief Mark Binskin as its special adviser on Israel’s investigation into the death of Ms Frankcom and six colleagues in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza.
Former Defence Force chief Mark Binskin is Australia’s special adviser on Israel’s investigation into the death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom. Alex Ellinghausen
Mr Binskin will liaise with the Israeli military and provide advice to Canberra on the investigation of the incident, measures taken to hold those responsible to account and whether a further probe is warranted.
He will also advise on the Israel Defence Forces’ policies and procedures for operational incidents and preventive measures for these.
Israel’s investigation, released late on Friday, found the airstrike was a mistake. The government has fired two officers from their positions and reprimanded three senior commanders.
“The information that Israel has provided so far on its investigation hasn’t yet satisfied our expectations,” Mr Albanese told the ABC.
“Obviously it is a difficult circumstance given the conflict that is ongoing in Gaza, but we want him to have full access and we expect that from the Israeli government and the Israeli Defence Force.”
UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said over the weekend that Britain would halt arms sales to Israel if it was found to be breaching international law, but it had not passed that threshold yet.
Although the Albanese government maintains that Australia has not provided weapons to Israel for at least five years, Canberra has approved at least 322 permits for undisclosed military and dual-use goods to be exported to Israel since 2017.
Pro-Palestinian advocates have also targeted Australian defence companies that supply components to Israel, such as the F-35 fighter jet, and Australia has contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars with Israeli defence contractors.
Asked whether he would consider withdrawing Australian support in any form, Mr Albanese replied: “We’ll await Air Chief Marshal Binskin’s report to us”, but he reiterated that Australia did not send arms to Israel at present.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson welcomed Mr Binskin’s appointment but said the government was holding Israel to a higher standard, pointing out that an Australian woman, Galit Carboni, was killed in her home in a kibbutz during the October 7 terror attack.
“The Albanese government’s response to her death was not anywhere near as strong as it’s been to Zomi Frankcom’s death,” he said.
“Where were the calls for Hamas to investigate this? Where were the calls for Hamas to sack people? I think a double standard has been introduced here, and I think only the government can explain that.”
Mr Binskin, a former fighter pilot, was defence force chief between 2014 and 2018, and also led the royal commission into the 2019-20 “Black Summer” bushfires.
