To mark the anniversary of the beginning of Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip, Jews Against the Occupation ’48 wrote to Prime Minister Albanese, Foreign Minister Wong, and Defence Minister Marles. We have received no reply.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong Minister of Defence, Richard Marles

Sydney, November 20, 2024.

Dear Prime Minister and Ministers,

We will be straightforward.

We had believed that, beneath the realities of political life, you were principled people, with a deep respect for your office and for the law, including international law. We had assumed that you valued Australia’s international standing enough to ensure our adherence to these laws. We had hoped that you, as representatives of the Australian people, would take Australia’s responsibilities as a member of the international community of nations very seriously.

As Australia has signed and ratified the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Conventions (specifically the Genocide Convention, the Children’s Rights Convention, and the Refugee Rights Convention), we had expected ethically coherent and legally appropriate actions from you in response to the unspeakable harm Israel has unleashed on Palestine.

We have been hoping and waiting in vain. Nothing in the past twelve months has propelled you into meaningful action.

No number of Palestinian children killed or maimed and traumatised for life; no number of Palestinians, including minors, tortured and raped in Israeli prisons and detention camps; no number of civilians driven from place to desolate place in forced evacuations;

No amount of wanton destruction of Palestinian towns, villages, schools, hospitals, farmland, universities, homes, markets, libraries, museums, cultural and religious sites, refugee camps, trees, animals, or essential civilian infrastructure (such as water purification plants, solar energy panels, and sewerage systems); No level of deliberate starvation inflicted; no amount of humanitarian aid blocked; no type of illegal or experimental weapon used on a captive population, inflicting previously-unknown injuries impossible to treat due to the catastrophic conditions;

None of these egregious crimes has awoken any humanitarian impulse.

No number of UN and other aid workers murdered; no number of doctors and nurses killed or kidnapped; no number of journalists shot dead; no amount of indiscriminate or AI targeted bombing; No number of petitions and open letters by medical professionals, by legal experts, by journalists, by trauma specialists, by holocaust historians, by academics and students, by human rights groups, by dismayed and horrified citizens both young and old of every faith and background; no number of impassioned speeches in the UN assembly; not even the measured and explicit rulings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) calling for an immediate and unconditional stop to Israel’s illegal onslaught, its unlawful occupation and apartheid regime;

None of it has prompted any recourse to appropriate diplomatic response.

You must be aware of the ongoing horror. It is your duty to remain up to date about events of such momentous nature. Therefore, you know, or should know, of the many credible reports debunking Israel’s lies and propaganda, including those about what happened on October 7th. You know, or should know, that the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) acknowledges activating the Hannibal Directive, thus deliberately killing many Israelis lest they become hostages; that no babies were beheaded; and that there is no verifiable evidence of systematic rape. Furthermore, that Israel refuses to cooperate with the UN body attempting to report on the horrific events of that day.

Likewise, it would be irresponsible of you not to have familiarised yourselves with the historical context of current events. You know, or should know, that Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people did not begin on October 8th 2023; and that the Gaza Ghetto uprising was the logical and full-blown outcome of decades-long incremental ethnic cleansing, ruthless siege, brutal military occupation, and cruel apartheid.

Does it not worry you that Australia, through trading with Israel, including with weapons and surveillance companies, and providing diplomatic cover in the UN, entailing subservience to the US and to our own Israel lobby, is complicit in Israel’s crimes?

Israel has made it abundantly clear that it does not want a ceasefire, not even at the cost of its own citizens’ lives. Nor will it countenance a Palestinian State. On the contrary, it is expanding its lethal attacks on the illegally occupied West Bank, with the obvious objective of de facto annexation. It aims to annihilate the Palestinian people and their identity by brute force, while provoking surrounding countries and risking escalation to regional war. Israel has become a rogue state, operating with impunity, and blaming its victims.

The UN long ago concluded that Israel’s control over the Gaza Strip constitutes occupation, thus denying Israel any right to “defend” itself. The ICJ has left the world in no doubt that this occupation and siege are unlawful, along with Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank, and its annexation of the Golan Heights. The ICJ has also concluded that Israel practises apartheid. Its ruling calls on all countries to withdraw support for Israel while it continues to act unlawfully, and has clearly spelled out that whoever insists on enabling these crimes is complicit.

Are you therefore not only defying the highest court in the world, but even justifying Israel’s genocidal onslaught in Gaza, its occupation and apartheid? Could it be that you cannot find the courage to deviate from the ‘ironclad commitment’ of the US and take a sovereign decision? Does your ambition to propel Australia into the top ten players in the global armaments industry outweigh your obligation to restore our country’s increasingly damaged international reputation?

Maybe you are being bullied by the Israel lobby, including the right-wing Christian Zionist movement in this country? It is no longer plausible to claim that criticism of the State of Israel, condemnation of its barbarity, and the demand for Israel to respect international law are antisemitic. Perhaps it is convenient for you to have cover for your apparent inhumanity and your own contempt for international law.

However, after more than a year of prevarication and appalling inaction, do you deserve the benefit of the doubt? Australians sickened by Israel’s shocking violence and outraged by its impunity are reeling. We want to know why you have not implemented the most peaceful and effective way of bringing this hellish catastrophe to an end: a complete boycott, sanctions and divestment policy on Israel? Surely that would be the least Australia could, and should, do.

We are asking these blunt questions because we demand accountability from our government. We expect a substantive, comprehensive, and timely response. History will not absolve Israel, nor its allies, be they wilfully blind or not.

Sincerely,

Jews Against The Occupation ‘48

W_e are seeking endorsements for subsequent letters. If you would like to endorse this open letter (your name and organisation/position if any will be public) please email admin@jao48australia.org _

Endorsements Organisations

1. Loud Jew Collective (LJC)
2. Jews for Palestine Northern Rivers
3. New South Wales Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL)
4. Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN)
5. Unionists for Palestine Victoria
6. Pax Christi Australia
7. Green Left
8. Sydney Peace and Justice Coalition (SPJC)
9. Peoples Climate Assembly (PCA)
10. Palestine Justice Movement Sydney (PJMS)
11. Palestine Action Group Sydney (PAG)
12. Socialist Alliance Sydney
13. Greens for Palestine
14. Wage Peace-Disrupt War
15. Extinction Rebellion Peace ACT
16. Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre
17. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Australia
18. Free Palestine Albury Wodonga
19. City of Sydney for Palestine
20. Blue Mountains for Palestine
21. Central West for Palestine
22. Just Peace Queensland
23. Lake Macquarie Greens 
24. Christians for Peace Newcastle
25. Newcastle Greens
26. Families For Palestine
27. Free Gaza Australia 
28. Free Palestine Newcastle 
29. Northern Rivers for Palestine
30. No Weapons for Genocide
31. Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network (PIEN)
32. Nurses and Midwives for Palestine (NAMP)
33. Australian Friends Of Palestine Association (AFOPA) 
34. Friends of Palestine Port Macquarie
35. Coalition for Justice and Peace in Palestine (CJPP)
36. Mums for Palestine Magan-jin 
37. Borderlands Cooperative
38. Top End Peace Alliance (TEPA)
39. Federazione Italiana Lavoratori Emigrati e Famiglie (FILEF)
40. Helios Matheson Analytics Shareholders Consortium (HMASC)

Individuals

1. 1. Mary Kostakidis 2. Greg Barnes SC 3. Margaret Reynolds AC, National President WILPF Australia 4. John Menadue AO 5. Aran Martin 6. Ahmad Shboul 7. Linda Shboul 8. Rami Meo 9. Marina Glover, co-founder Friends of Palestine Port Macquarie 10. Madeleine Thorpe, co-founder Friends of Palestine Port Macquarie 11. Richard Broinowski 12. Alison Broinowski, co-Patron Asian Association of Australian Studies 13. Amirra Hajje 14. Ali Kazak, former Ambassador for Palestine 15. Paul Heywood-Smith SC, co-founder AFOPA 16. Cr Philipa Veitch 17. Paz Seir 18. Chip Eling 19. Sawsan Madina, former Head of SBS Television 20. Nachshon Amir, Free Palestine Melbourne 21. Sherri Hilario 22. Richard Broinowski AO 23. Lee Rhiannon, Dare to Struggle Films 24. Fabia Claridge 25. Michelle Berkon 26. Yaakov Aharon 27. Mick Armstrong, National Executive Socialist Alternative 28. Wendy Bacon, Past Professor of Journalism University of Technology Sydney 29. Mariam Khmaladze 30. Esther Berkon, Jews for Palestine Northern Rivers 31. Alan Musry 32. Jann Dark 33. Eva Cox AO 34. Dr Nicholas Wickham, Co-convenor SA State Committee of Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) 35. Graham Jones, co-director Kinetic Energy Theatre Company 36. Dr Antonina Gentile 37. Kerry Dwyer 38. Nicole Dennis 39. Rosie Cuff 40. Vivienne Porzsolt 41. Dr Barbara Bloch 42. Kim Sattler 43. Peter Geelan-Small 44. Rick Kuhn 45. Finbar Berkon 46. Vidhya Karnamadakala 47. Felicity Ruby 48. Ahmed Abadla 49. Jepke Goudsmit, co-director Kinetic Energy Theatre Company 50. Sara Dowse 51. Dr Ron Witton  52. Miriam Margolyes OBE, actress  53. Jeremy Rabie 54. Luke Weyland 55. Laurie Izaks MacSween 56. Helen Meekosha 57. Richard Bevins 58. Evelyn Williames, co-convenor Amnesty Ashgrove Group Brisbane 59. Allon J Uhlmann  60. Marcelo Svirsky, Senior Lecturer University of Wollongong 61. James Godfrey  62. Asher McManus 63. Liam Callaghan  64. Dr Nick Riemer, Senior Lecturer, Vice-President (Academic) National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) University of Sydney 65. Surya McEwan 66. Matthew Wierzbicki 67. Br John Walker MSC 68. Persefoni Thliveris 69. Jayden Mec’e 70. Carol Powell  71. Jim McIlroy 72. Coral Wynter 73. Ariel Johnson 74. Marion Gevers 75. Alison Harwood 76. Rachel Evans, Branch Manager Sydney Socialist Alliance 77. Wasim El-Haj  78. Randa Kattan 79. Pip Hinman 80. Peter Boyle 81. Sam Sherry 82. Sonja Sedmak 83. Pen McKinley-Rodgers, co-founder Friends of Palestine Port Macquarie 84. Bruno Di Biase, Adjunct Associate Professor Linguistics Western Sydney University  85. Caroline Graham 86. Alison Howson 87. Peter Hyland 88. Ash Phthalo 89. Ulani Berkon 90. Taveet Sinanian 91. Carlos Badelles Agito 92. Ken Blackman 93. Giulia Inga 94. Silvio Ofria 95. Tom Knowles 96. Doug Hewitt AM 97. Peter Murphy, Secretary SJPC 98. Fr. Claude Mostowik MSC, President Pax Christi Australia, National Director Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre  99. Rita Camilleri 100. Dr Gideon Polya 101. Nick Deane, Convenor Marrickville Peace Group 102. Revd Dr Ray Williamson OAM, Vice-President PIEN 103. Ms Maxine Caron 104. Mr Gareth Smith 105. Stefano Perfili  106. Nils von Kalm, committee member PIEN  107. Jenny Forster  108. Fayeza Khan 109. Dr Chris Johansen, IPAN 110. Barry Trembath 111. Wallace McKitrick 112. Julie Hart  113. Thomas Magarey 114. Paul Magarey 115. Maureen Todhunter, co-convenor Just Peace Queensland 116. Amy Blain, Chair PCA 117. John L Smith 118. Tamara Jacka, Emeritus Professor 119. Margaret Reynolds AC 120. Elise Klein 121. Ahmed Alabadla 122. Frances Warren 123. Mara Hayler 124. Stephen Brendan Kelly HMASC 125. Dr David Glanz 126. Cate Adams  127. Helen Rainger, President PIEN  128. Brian and Maureen Rainger  129. Christine Hunter, IPAN 130. Edward Down 131. Andrew Telfer, committee member PIEN 132. Ruth Telfer, member PIEN 133. Rosie Hippel 134. Ali El-Hajj 135. Brian Arnott 136. Maureen Arnott 137. Wendy Brown 138. Michael Long, IPAN 139. David Macilwain 140. Peter Harpas, Secretary IPAN 141. Jeannie Lucas, Secretary AFOPA  142. Dr Kerryn Higgs 143. Christine Sylva 144. Robin Booth  145. Jo Fenner 146. Tanya El-Hajje 147. Judith Treanor 148. Malcolm Treanor 149. Callum Treanor  150. Ron Beer 151. Martin Smith 152. Pat Rix 153. Catherine Fitzgerald 154. Miriam Tonkin 155. Marta Romer 156. Dr Georgine Clarsen 157. Shamsulnisa Alam 158. Socorro C Cifuentes 159. Nicole Pittorino 160. Virginia Frost Raison 161. Ken Raison 162. Matthew Wierzbicki 163. Denise McMullen  164. Nicole Milinkovic 165. Arthur Truman 166. Alison Mackinnon 167. Paul Desmond 168. Margaret Pestorius, Wage Peace-Disrupt War 169. Sue Herbert 170. Dr Grant Banfield, University of South Australia 171. Dr Teja Kodali FRACP 172. Ismaeel Qtaifan 173. Dr Nandini Choudhury, MBBS FACEM PEM 174. Elna Tulus 175. Trish Luker 176. Paulo Barros Cardoso 177. Annette Connor 178. Dr Carlo Gazzola 179. Dr Annee Lawrence 180. Christina Emblèm  181. Richard R Emblèm 182. Kathleen Patitsas 183. Sue Spence 184. Brian Purcell 185. Dr Sana Pathan 186. Colleen Mitrow 187. Julia Weston 188. Heather Robinson, Mental Health Chaplain 189. Saskia Kouwenberg 190. Dr Eileen Whitehead 191. Ian P Kruger 192. Eleanor Putnam, WILPF  193. Peter Cleary 194. Kathryn Dolphin 195. Matthew Rayner, Australian Greens 196. Sharon O’Phee 197. Grace Byass 198. Sarah Smith, Australian Services Union (ASU)  199. Sheri Lochner, Registered Nurse 200. Wayne Cherrington 201. Klaus Frohlich 202. James Stuart Dixon 203. Dr Laresa Kosloff, Senior Lecturer RMIT University Melbourne 204. Darryl Nelson, The Archer Earth Community 205. Raven North 206. Juanita Spinelli 207. Evan Sandford Inglis 208. Lucy Ridsdale 209. Victoria Green 210. Brooke Shelton, Mums for Palestine Magan-jin 211. Dr Jock Churchman 212. Elliot Orr 213. Julanne Sweeney 214. Eleni Nanos 215. Mei-ing Cheok 216. Lyn Bender 217. Ruth Bauer 218. Helen Pereira 219. Chloe Vincent 220. Robert Keyzer 221. Jose Camilo Ballesteros 222. Maria Carty 223. Patrick Naidoo 224. Barbara Nielsen 225. Matisse McLennan 226. Pamela Collett 227. Peter Philp 228. Michael Birch 229. Margaret Bearlin, Quaker Canberra and Region, WILPF, ALP 230. Marion Cincotta 231. Dr Jane Thorn 232. Kathryn Kelly 233. John Russell 234. Wendy Flannery 235. Jack Lomax, status member Tasmanian Friends of Peace 236. Jan O’Leary 237. Helen Greer 238. Deborah Stacey 239. Donna Mullaly 240. Dr Angela Molloy Murphy 241. Gregoria Tamvakis 242. Sr Anne Shay, Presentation Sisters Lismore 243. Sheila Addison 244. Karim Soliman 245. David Thorn 246. Vaughan Greenberg 247. Nat Tunbridge 248. Ann Marett 249. Diana Davison Mowle  250. Annette Brownlie 251. Adele Goldie 252. Dr Philippa Tandy 253. Fay Waddington, Just Peace for Palestine Queensland 254. Richard Stone 255. Peter Collins 256. Ciarán MacLennan  257. Janine Cowie 258. Jacqueline Henrion 259. Brett Nutting 260. Jonathan Heath 261. Michael Smythe 262. Judy Gillett-Ferguson 263. David Fittell 264. Robert Smith 265. David Odling-Smee 266. Meredith Corrigan 267. Brian Corrigan 268. Diana McAtee 269. Robin Rothfield 270. Treya Derrington, WILPF  271. Janette Connard 272. Hon Sandra Kanck 273. Karyn Fearnside 274. Rose Boutin 275. Denise seabright 276. Vera Yee 277. Anna McCormack 278. Christina Bauer 279. Dr David King, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)  280. Suzanne McCarthy 281. Faye Gregson 282. Clive Leslie Winmill 283. John Mester, member ALP 284. Melise Reynolds 285. James Cruz, Co-convenor ACT Greens 286. Rob Baker 287. Alfredo Munoz 288. Dr Malgorzata Schmidt 289. Lynda Fletcher 290. Pippa Robinson 291. Anna Vanderbom 292. Andre Mosen 293. David Nicholas 294. Jose Alvarez 295. Richard Barnes 296. Francine Bartlett 297. Helen Lockton 298. Maree Byrne 299. Dale Dryen 300. Chris Bouajila 301. Jacqueline Moldovan 302. Dr Marian Shanahan 303. Jan Macnamara-Hammerton, Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) 304. Geraldine Gillen, member WILPF 305. Dr Pam Watson 306. Lucy Bainger, Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR) 307. Sha Greenway 308. Savanna Storm 309. Reno Russo 310. Michael Pfahl 311. Ruth Hartcher-O’Brien 312. Jan Brahe 313. Sally Gray 314. Peter Lockwood 315. Sarah Cains 316. Joy Davison-Lee 317. Maree Tynan, Rural Australians for Refugees Southern Highlands 318. Ann Newton, Free Palestine Apollo Bay 319. Dr Jacques Boulet, Borderlands Cooperative 320. Thelma John 321. Teresa Sewell-Kasim  322. Dr Jess Hartcher-O’Brien 323. Lynette Chamas 324. Param Berg 325. Ann Reed 326. Kim Brill 327. Ben Laycock 328. Cathy Crawley 329. Susanna Pearson, Greens, Rural Australians for Refugees Southern Highlands 330. Thomas Goodman, Greens, Rural Australians for Refugees Southern Highlands 331. Diana Rickard, TEPA 332. Lachlan Judson 333. Andrew Morrison 334. Giles O’Brien-Hartcher 335. Rosemary Grant 336. Rina Cohen 337. Dr Robyn Gilbertson 338. MichaEL, AFOPA, PIEN 339. Robin Smith 340. Lisa Byrne 341. Jamie Chancellor 342. Nell Smith 343. Glin Martin   344. Mary Waterford AM 345. Adam Hadad 346. David Javid 347. Dr Raghid Nahhas 348. Gwyneth Bray, Australians for Justice and Peace in Palestine 349. Dr L Stanley Martin 350. Doreen Martin 351. Ruth Ann Haig 352. Heather McClelland 353. Sue Kinneally 354. Kirsten Mayer 355. Jola Jones 356. Joanna O’Brien 357. Marion Hibbs  358. Angela Swan 359. Sally Waterford 360. Vandana Herur 361. Professor Stuart Rees AM 362. Reeda Kassis 363. Terry Lustig

The views expressed in this article may or may not reflect those of Pearls and Irritations.