Government to oversee Israeli investigation
"This is about a political outcome … what the Prime Minister is doing here is trying to find a pathway through what's obviously a torn ALP," says Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Australia “is imposing a double standard on its ally and fellow democracy that has never been applied to any other country”, Zionist Federation of Australia president Jeremy Leibler said on Tuesday.
His comment was in reference to the government’s appointment of former ADF chief Mark Binskin to oversee Israel’s investigation into the tragic mistaken killing of Australian Zomi Frankcom and six other aid workers in Gaza last week.
Following the incident, Israel took responsibility, released findings into a probe and dismissed two senior officers while formally censuring several others. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the ABC on Monday, “We don’t find the explanations to be satisfactory to this point.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told journalists in Adelaide, “We have not yet received sufficient information to satisfy our expectations,” revealing that she and Defence Minister Richard Marles had written to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant “to reiterate Australia’s expectations”.
Binskin will examine the arrangements for Israel’s investigation, IDF policies and procedures, as well as measures to hold those responsible and to prevent similar incidents.
While noting Binskin “is a fine person”, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told reporters on Monday he had been “given mission impossible”.
“This is about a political outcome … what the Prime Minister is doing here is trying to find a pathway through what’s obviously a torn ALP,” he said.
“Frankly, the Prime Minister’s response to people who are living in fear in Jewish communities in our country at the moment has been deplorable.”
Leibler said that while we all rightly expect full accountability, “We are deeply concerned and confused by the government’s appointment.”
Seemingly referring to Labor’s Ed Husic, who told Sky News on Sunday there was “a systematic failure within the Israeli government to genuinely commit to the observance of international humanitarian law”, Leibler added, “And we are confused, because listening to certain cabinet ministers, they’d have you think this special adviser has actually been tasked with investigating a laundry list of their outrageous claims, including that Israel intentionally kills aid workers and systematically disregards humanitarian law.
“We are deeply concerned that the rhetoric that has accompanied this appointment will lend credibility to the conspiracy theories about Israel that are inflaming social tensions in this country.”
Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein also conveyed disappointment.
“No other country, including those who had citizens killed in the same convoy, is taking this step,” he noted.
“Our government is signalling that it does not trust the independent investigation of our ally and fellow democracy, Israel, fuelling falsehoods that Israel is not complying with international humanitarian law and even prompting suggestions by some senior figures that it may also be deliberately targeting aid workers and civilians.”
He added, “It took years for Australia to investigate and accept responsibility for the civilian deaths caused by the ADF in Afghanistan.”
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin noted that Wong had only “fleetingly referenced” Australian October 7 victim Galit Carbone in an October 16 Senate speech.
“What was missing from the Foreign Minister’s remarks that day, and all prior and subsequent statements by the government concerning the murder in cold blood of Ms Carbone, was the same call for accountability rightly attached to the Israeli strike on the aid convoy,” he said.
Shadow Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham told The AJN while the unintended killings of the aid workers was tragic and should not have occurred, “The Albanese government should not allow such tragedy to confuse Australia’s response to the terrorist acts and threats of Hamas.
“The language and actions of Labor’s leadership have many questioning their resolve, when the going gets tough, to support Israel taking the difficult steps to defeat Hamas.”
Former Labor Minister and decorated soldier Mike Kelly said, “Australia should always take care not to set precedents or argue for standards that are contrary to the laws of armed conflict and which we may find inappropriately advocated against the ADF.”
But he said he had “complete confidence” in the IDF conducting a “rigorous analysis” and welcomed “the openness and honesty of the Israelis authorities in quickly accepting responsibility and initiating an immediate investigation”.
He added, “Mark Binskin is a great Australian who I have been privileged to work with over many years. He certainly is well qualified to advise the government as he has close familiarity with the challenges of fighting Islamist extremists and defeating them in a populated urban environment.”
International Legal Forum CEO Arsen Ostrovsky, an Austrian oleh, said, “Israel immediately took responsibility, conducted an investigation, dismissed senior officers and took appropriate lessons. If this is not enough for Penny Wong, then nothing will be.
“Australia has just been waiting for an excuse to pounce on Israel and abandon us.”
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