Australians pride themselves on being a fair, just, and compassionate people. We rightly abhor racism, terrorism, and genocide—regardless of who the perpetrator is.

That’s why it is shocking that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has failed to take decisive action to prevent Australian citizens—particularly dual nationals—from participating in what leading human rights experts and international jurists regard as war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has caused an unconscionable level of death and destruction. Estimates based on credible methodologies, such as those published in The Lancet, suggest that actual Palestinian fatalities exceed 186,000 people—primarily women and children—when accounting for direct and indirect deaths, including those caused by the collapse of health systems, water and food insecurity, and infrastructural devastation.

Yet the Albanese government remains silent as Australian citizens—some holding dual Israeli nationality—travel to join the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), a blameworthy institution directly implicated in these atrocities.

A moral and legal failure

This is not simply a foreign policy issue. It is a matter of strongly-held Australian values, domestic law, and our obligations under international humanitarian law.

The IDF’s actions—especially its use of the so-called “mouse trap” strategy, which involves directing starving Palestinians to food distribution points and then targeting those sites with deadly force killing mainly children—violate every standard of military ethics and human decency.

The New York Times and other respected sources have verified these repeated mass killings of desperate civilians at US-Israeli coordinated food aid lines.

How is it legal—or morally acceptable—for Australian citizens to fight in such a force? The Australian government has prosecuted Muslims for far less under the guise of “foreign fighters” laws. Why the double standard?

Enabling war crimes fuels division

The Albanese government’s inaction not only undermines international law but risks fuelling antisemitism within Australia.

When Australians see government complicity or indifference toward the suffering of Palestinians—and the role that Australian dual nationals are playing in it—it breeds resentment and undermines social cohesion.

Protecting Australian Jewish citizens from being morally and legally compromised by participation in foreign militaries committing atrocities is a necessary safeguard, not an attack on Judaism or Jewish identity.

Let’s be clear: ordinary Australians reject genocide. It’s not who we are. And if we stand for justice, which we do, we must ensure our citizens do not contribute to war crimes abroad, whether in Gaza, Ukraine, or anywhere else.

A call for immediate action

Prime Minister Albanese must act now. The government should:

  • Prohibit Australian citizens from serving in foreign armies engaged in war crimes, especially where civilian targeting is systematic and documented, as is in Gaza.
  • Launch an investigation into Australians who have fought with or supported the IDF during the Gaza offensive.
  • Ensure consistent application of foreign fighter laws, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political sensitivity.
  • Publicly condemn all acts of collective punishment and genocide, no matter who is the perpetrator.

This is not about taking sides in a geopolitical conflict. It is about upholding the moral and legal principles that define Australians as a nation.