Ali Kazak
Ali Kazak is a former Palestinian ambassador and head of delegation to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific region. He is an expert in Australian-Arab relations and affairs, and author of “Australia and the Arabs”. (In Arabic).
Ali's recent articles
11 February 2025
Antisemitism is fuelled by Israel and its lobby, not their opponents
It's outrageous that leaders of Zionist-controlled Jewish organisations and the Israeli lobby blame Australians protesting Israeli war crimes for rising antisemitism.
30 January 2025
An open letter to Israelis: Where to from here?
Return to the hell of conflict or forward to peace and security?
11 January 2025
Blinded by political donations: Appeasing a rogue state and its extremist lobby
It seems like Western countries cannot draw lessons from their shameful past. Just as they appeased the Nazi and apartheid regimes, they are repeating their mistake by appeasing the Zionist regime in occupied Palestine while it’s waging a war of genocide against the Palestinian people.
12 December 2024
Who benefits from an attack on the synagogue in Melbourne?
In my condemnation of the attack on the synagogue in Melbourne, I said, “This is not acceptable by any means. Unlike the Zionists who kept silent and never condemned Israel’s destruction of 819 mosques and 3 churches in just over a year in Gaza, many of which are historic, Palestinians do not condone attacks against holy places.”
1 December 2024
Correcting a common mistake
There is a common misconception that Anthony Albanese established the Parliamentary Friendship group with Palestine. This is not true. He was one of the founding committee members.
25 November 2024
Denial of Australian visa to anti-Palestinian racists disturbs some Liberal Party leaders
On 21 November 2024, the Australian government refused to grant a visa to former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked, known for her anti-Palestinian views. She had been invited to attend a security conference in Canberra and other events organised by the Israeli lobby, Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).
13 November 2024
Accusing the Palestinians of what they themselves do
With impudence, Israel and its lobby always accuse us Palestinians of what they do against us. They play the role of the victim, making the criminal a victim and the victim a criminal even as they commit one of the most heinous war crimes and genocide against humanity, with unprecedented hatred and sadistic brutality. Turning tens of thousands of homes into gas ovens with their firebombs, burning people alive and destroying everything: residential buildings, hospitals, schools, universities, mosques, churches, cemeteries, museums, cultural centres, bakeries, banks, streets, parks and even the zoo. And yet they claim to be “civilised”, “the only...
2 November 2024
Zionists’ inflammation of antisemitism
The primary focus of the Zionist movement and the Israeli lobby is not combating anti-Semitism but rather combating critics of Israel’s colonial apartheid regime and the crimes it is perpetrating against the Palestinian people.
19 October 2024
Will Israel learn from its history or be doomed to repeat its mistakes?
Israel succeeded in what it is good at destroying, killing children and women and assassinating leaders, in killing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. But the Israelis are only deceiving themselves if they think that through their crimes, they can accomplish success for their colonial project and force the Palestinian people to surrender.
7 October 2024
On election day, accountability takes centre stage
If the government and Opposition think they will not be held accountable, they should think again.
24 September 2024
Never forget the Sabra and Shatila massacre 16 September 1982
“The killers were often not satisfied with killing; in many cases, the attackers cut off the limbs of their victims before finishing them off. They smash the heads of children and infants on the walls. Women and girls were raped before being killed with axes. Men are sometimes taken out of their homes in groups to be killed in masse in the street with axes and knives. Militias spread terror and killed men, women, children and the elderly without discrimination. They would not distinguish between Christians and Muslims, Lebanese and Palestinians. Some have been hanged, and others have had their...
21 September 2024
The Albanese Government is isolating Australia and not serving the national interest by appeasing Israel
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution submitted by the State of Palestine demanding that “Israel brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, … no later than 12 months from the adoption of the present resolution” and that “Israel comply without delay with all its legal obligations under international law, including as stipulated by the International Court of Justice”. The resolution's provisions are consistent with the UN Charter, international law, and the decision of the International Court of Justice.
14 August 2024
What is Zionism? Who is responsible for Israel’s crimes, Jews or Zionists?
Israel and Zionists try to confuse the public by conflating Judaism with Zionism; they commit their crimes and hide behind the Jewish people. Palestinians, on the other hand, distinguish between Jews, Judaism and Zionism and hold the Zionists responsible for the crimes they commit against them, not the Jews.
28 May 2024
Palestine, from the river to the sea, between colonialism and liberty
When Labor and Liberal politicians repeat deceptive Israeli propaganda without scrutiny and knowledge of the facts, they lose credibility and reveal their undignified ignorance and sycophantic submission to Israel. We heard leaders from both sides repeating Israel’s accusation that those who raise the slogan “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free” are being antisemites. Let us examine the facts.
12 April 2024
Australia's recognition of the State of Palestine an overdue move in support of peace
Recognition of the Palestinian state is an essential step to achieve peace and stability in the world and to bring an end to the Zionist colonial expansionist project in the Middle East. It is time that Australia be on the right side of history, recognise the state of Palestine and stand up in defence of international order.
5 February 2024
A pro-Israel policy will become electoral poison for Labor
The Labor and Liberal parties blind pro-Israel policy will haunt them in the next federal election.
29 January 2024
The Australian government's pause of funding to UNRWA is irresponsible and shameful
Within 24 hours of an allegation made by Mark Regev, an advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to the BBC last Friday, that 12 employees of theUnited Nations Relief and Works Agencyfor Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) participated in the October 7 operation, foreign ministers of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and a few other countries, jumped to announce they are pausing their fundingto UNRWA, thus collectively punishing millions of Palestinian refugees throughout the region.
21 December 2023
Senator Birmingham you are bringing shame to Australia and the Liberal party
In the next federal election, people will not forget the Liberal Partys disgraceful policy of supporting Israels crimes, violation of international laws, and betrayal of Australias values and principles to appease Israel and its extremist lobby, especially in the five marginal seats held by the Liberals - Banks (NSW), Sturt (SA), Deakin (VIC), Menzies (VIC) and Moore (WA) - where Australian Muslims and the Arab community hold the balance of votes.
2 November 2023
An open letter to ABC Managing Director David Anderson
ABC reporters and program presenters always refer to Hamass non-recognition of the right of Israel to exist, but they never mention the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Likud party does not recognise in its charter the right of Palestine to exist, why? An open letter from Ali Kazak, Former Palestinian ambassador.
24 October 2023
An open letter to Anthony Albanese
It is long overdue for the United States of America to assume its responsibility, hold Israel accountable and force it to respect international laws and resolutions and recognize the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
23 October 2023
Blindly supporting Israel, the West abandons the values it claims to stand for
Leaders of the US, Britain, Australia and Western countries, instead of learning from history, are failing to bear their responsibility for the creation of an Israeli colonial regime in Palestine at the expense of the Palestinian people. Despite the massacres, ethnic cleansing, aggression, wars, occupation and gross violations of international law committed by Israel since its inception, Western countries, especially the group of Anglo Saxon countries of the so-called Five Eyes, whom I call the Five Eyes plus Israel, continue with their policy of blind support to Israel, giving it a green light to continue its policy of illegal occupation...
20 October 2023
Albos better days
Anthony Albanese pictured with the Australian parliamentary delegation meeting with the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in 1998.
13 October 2023
This is how you can support the people of Gaza
Dear distinguished readers, in response to the terrible situation in Palestine, please support an urgent appeal from the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association (PANZMA), to purchase badly needed medical supplies for the besieged people of Gaza.
9 October 2023
Palestinians will not surrender to occupation and apartheid
Every drop of Palestinian and Jewish blood shed is on the hands of the United States, Australian and Western countries politicians who closed their eyes to the aggression, occupation, ethnic cleansing, and violation of international laws and resolutions carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people for more than seventy-five years.
15 May 2023
The Palestinian catastrophe (Al-Nakba) and Australias responsibility
Yesterday, 15th May marked the 75th anniversary of the mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their homeland, known as the Nakba or the Catastrophe.
4 April 2023
Exposing Israels violations upset the Israeli lobby
The main Israeli lobby operating under the name of the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), a well-financed private group, is worried.
22 March 2023
Does the ABC regard Palestinians as humans, equal to Ukrainians?
An open letter to the ABC, 22 March 2023.
6 June 2022
The most moral army in the world in pictures
In what world is this okay? Israeli soldiers hold guns to young Palestinian children. This is never okay.
13 February 2022
Israeli apartheid.If it looks like a duck, walks and talks like a duck, it is a duck
While hard-line Israeli lobbyists defend their beloved colonial regime and continue their denial that Israel is an apartheid state, Israeli politicians, Knesset members, writers, journalists are admitting that Israelisan apartheid state.
7 August 2021
When shameful ignorance comes from a minister of education: an open letter to Alan Tudge
As a Palestinian refugee who was ethnically cleansed with my mother by Zionist terrorist groups,and separated from my father when I was a few months old,I am deeply distressed and disappointed,likemany in the community, to read your article in The Australian(Left's anti-Zionism is just the oldest hatred in disguise, 5.8.2021)in which you are either deliberately or out of shameful ignoranceconflatinganti-Zionism with anti-Semitism, and showing a complete lack of knowledge of Zionism and the Palestine question.
2 June 2021
Australian academics open letter in solidarity with Palestine and call for action
As scholars, academics and students in Australia, a settler colony built on the dispossession of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, we stand in solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for liberation and against Israeli settler colonialism. In the past month, Palestinians have faced brutal Israeli settler colonial violence in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem and al-Aqsa mosque, the West Bank, Gaza, and in Palestinian cities and towns in Israel. This violence is rooted in a century of colonisation and Palestinian dispossession.
29 October 2020
Treasurer Josh Frydenbergs misuse of his position.
JoshFrydenbergannounced a$2.5 million grantfor the further development of the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and a$3.5 million grant to build a holocaust museum in Brisbane. On the other hand, he reduced Australias contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from $20 million to$10 million, as reported in the Australian Jewish News.
21 November 2019
ALI KAZAK. The UN exposes Australia's shameful votes on the Israeli occupation.
The UN General Assemblys decolonization committee, which includes all 193 member states, on Friday 15th November 2019 adopted eight resolutions condemning Israels occupation and violations against the Palestinians, its repressive measures against Syrian citizens in the Golan Heights, renewed the mandate of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), and renewed the mandate of a UN special committee to investigate Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people. Australia unlike all European countries, New Zealand and the overwhelming countries around the world, supported only one resolution, opposed two and abstained on five. Below are the votes and the...
29 October 2019
ALI KAZAK. Hong Kong and Gaza: media dance to different tune
Compare the ABCs and SBSs coverage of the pro-democracy marches in Hong Kong and the Marches of Return in Gaza.
28 August 2019
On the Middle East, Tim Fischer was a man of courage and integrity
Tim Fischer belongs to a unique generation of politicians we are farewelling fast; a generation such as Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke. A generation which whether you agreed with their ideology or not you could not but respect.
13 June 2019
ALI KAZAK. Another side of Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke was long known as a great friend of Israel, but in his years after retiring from Parliament, Icame to know him as person increasingly concerned about Palestinian rights and getting a fair peace deal for Palestinians and Israelis.
11 December 2018
ALI KAZAK. Australias or Israels national interest?
In their arguments for recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital and moving the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, his deputy Josh Frydenberg and the Minister of Defence Christopher Pyne have been repeating Israels propaganda and hiding the truth from the public.
21 October 2018
ALI KAZAK. Mr Morrison in Jerusalem: serving war or peace?
In his recent press conference Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: he is open to the suggestion of recognition of Israel's capital in West Jerusalem, the opportunity for a capital for a Palestinian Authority in East Jerusalem and the Government's commitment to a two-state solution in the Middle East living side by side remains Australia's policy. He informed us of his decision to vote against the United Nations resolution on Palestine to chair the G77, his proposal to the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to appoint defence attaches in the Australian and Israeli embassies to further enhance cooperation on defence and of...
6 December 2017
Why should Israels lobby have different standards?
The government's plans to tackle foreign influence in Australian life provide an opportunity for the first time to define the level of Israeli activity designed to influence the making of our foreign policy. George Brandis didn't plan this. But it is likely to be an outcome.