Australian Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus’ visit to Israel, apparently to repair the fractured relationship between the Australian and Israeli governments, came under criticism about its timing and the implications for Australia’s commitment to human rights.
Critics, including the Jewish Council of Australia, AFIC and several organisations supporting Palestinians including numerous human rights groups, see the visit as a tacit endorsement of Israel’s controversial policies in the occupied territories. They argued that it is morally indefensible for Australia’s top legal officer to support a government accused of engaging in systematic violations of human rights.
The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) strongly condemned the visit, calling it a betrayal of Australia’s values on the world stage.
Dr Rateb Jneid, the president of AFIC, stated, “Sending our Attorney General to Israel under these circumstances is not only a misstep; it is a betrayal of the values Australia stands for on the global stage. How can we claim to support human rights and justice when we seek to bolster ties with a government that is actively engaged in policies amounting to genocide?”
AFIC has had called for the Australian government to halt the trip and instead focus on upholding its international legal obligations by imposing sanctions on Israel and supporting efforts to hold Israeli leaders accountable for their actions in the occupied territories.
Dreyfus, who is Jewish, has long been an advocate for strong ties between Australia and Israel. His father and grandparents were Holocaust survivors who emigrated to Australia after fleeing Nazi Germany, and his personal connection to the Jewish community is a significant aspect of his public life.
Dreyfus, one of the strongest supporters of Israel within the Australian Labor Party, went on the first ministerial visit to Israel since Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s trip nearly a year ago.
This diplomatic effort comes in the wake of significant tensions between Australia and Israel, which erupted after Australia voted in favor of a UN resolution calling for Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories.
The controversy surrounding the Attorney-General’s visit is rooted in a series of diplomatic clashes between the two countries.
Late last year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Albanese government of promoting an “extreme anti-Israeli” position.
His criticism intensified after Australia’s decision to reverse its stance on Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories at the United Nations.
Netanyahu linked these policy shifts to a rise in antisemitism in Australia, even suggesting that the government’s position was indirectly responsible for an arson attack on a synagogue in Melbourne.
This incident has heightened the already fraught political atmosphere surrounding the issue.
Political analysts saw Dreyfus’ trip as an attempt to smooth over the diplomatic rift with Netanyahu’s government, but it is a move fraught with tension.
Critics argued that it could undermine Australia’s commitment to international law and human rights, especially at a time when Israel’s military actions in Gaza have drawn widespread condemnation.
In a media release dated Thursday 16 January 2025, the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ) showed deep concern of the legal implications associated with such a blatantly political trip saying, “It is alarming that this woeful and ill-informed decision was made despite significant international legal rulings issued by international courts against Israel and Israeli officials in the past twelve months, which also placed clear and unequivocal obligations on third States, of which Australia is no exception. These include orders by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Human rights organisations and international bodies, including the United Nations, have accused Israel of committing violations of international law in its treatment of Palestinians including genocide and war crimes.
Hopefully Dreyfus believes in making Australia great rather than Israel great. If he can stop the ongoing Genocide, make Israel withdraw to the ‘67 border and have Israel agreeing to a Palestinian State
like yesterday his trip would make most Australian proud.
By all means Mark Dreyfus should go but he should make it clear that what Israel is committing in Gaza is genocide. He should also make it clear to Netanyahu and his gang of criminals that the policies of the Australian government are not to blame for the rise in antisemitism in Australia and the real cause is Israel’s mass murder of :Palestinians and his false claim that he is is doing it to protect the Jewish people.
An appalling development, sending a rep to kis the feet of the monster Herodian.
Israel today is like the Palestine of the Herodian puppets ruling on behalf of the empoire