The Australian Government has funnelled $2.5B of public funding to Israeli arms manufacturers via government contracts. Steph Tran investigates.
OP is arguably editorialising with post title, as it doesn’t match the headline - Billions in Israel defence contracts put Australia at risk. Yes, that sentence does appear in the article proper, but we all know just how many people don’t actually click through - and just go off vibes.
Yet even then, the article has questionable content at best - and this is coming from someone who generally supports Michael West and journalistic transparency.
It’s referring to $2.5b spent since 2004 (ie. since Howard FFS), so the first question any honest journalist would ask is - how much of that occurred, or was contracted to occur before October 7, 2023?
Secondly, this money hasn’t been ‘funnelled’ to Israel for them to commit genocide on the Palestinian people, it was payment for the procurement of military vehicles, services and technology. Again, most of which was contracted to occur before Israel began committing genocide on the people of Gaza.
Under the Arms Trade Treaty, to which Australia is a signatory, governments are required to block weapons transfers if there is an overriding risk they would be used to commit serious violations of the Geneva Conventions.
Thirdly this entire argument is a bit of a red herring, as this isn’t referring to transferring weapons TO Israel - but rather buying from. Now again, there is a whole seperate matter of any money paid in the past, now being put towards genocide - but that quoted paragraph is trying to conflate these two.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not an attempt to apologise for Israel - fuck Netanyahu, Gvir and their ilk for the war crimes they’ve committed, let them burn in the pariah state that they have created… and fuck each and every member of the IDF willingly going along with it.
But honestly, I am somewhat embarrassed to share political ideology with such a disingenuous reporter. Do better, Stephanie.
Thank you for your service.
The article is very clear on the timeline.
Funnelled is correct, these contracts are not easy to get access to.
I would also be interested in a further breakdown of contracts and time frames. I suggest Defence release this information.
As stated further down, the genocide has been going on for many decades. Australia is complicit.
Over here in the US that means that several of your politicians have fallen for an underage sex honey pot hosted by Israel
What the hell joke of an article is this?
Lara Khider, Senior Lawyer at the Australian Centre for International Justice
This will be about Gaza won’t it 🙄
committing internationally wrongful acts in relation to its military and other operations in Gaza
My gosh they won’t stop reaching will they 🙄
This is a complete non-issue. The government contracts are over the last 20 years. This war has been going on for only the last few of those, and even then there is nothing saying that Israeli companies can’t get Australian government contracts.
Saying that they’re “funnelling taxpayer dollars” is disingenuous. They’ve been paying for services. They haven’t been doing it to oppress Gaza/Palestine. You don’t call paying Australian contractors for their services “funnelling taxpayer dollars”, so why do they here?
The germicide has been ongoing on for 85 years. It didn’t start 2 years ago.
I have you labeled “zionist” because you are a propaganda mouthpiece for Israeli fascism.
On another note, is “labeling”/“Tagging” a Lemmy feature, or are you talking figuratively?
You can do it through some of the Lemmy apps, like you could on reddit with RES and some of the apps. Just puts a tag next to peoples name whenever you see them in the app.
I have you labeled “zionist” because you are a propaganda mouthpiece for Israeli fascism.
And I don’t even know who you are, nor do I care :). Your insane ramblings are no skin off my back.
Like my initial comment said, there has been and still is no reason for the Australian Government to not do business with Israeli companies if they provide a product/service that the government needs. You can personally think they should be taking a stance and picking a side (in this case you’re preferring that they side with Hamas, a terrorist organization by our own Government’s definitions) and not doing any business with the other side.
I guess I should tag you with “terrorist sympathiser” now.
Hmmmm. I’ll bite on the “buying weapons from an ally with significant military capabilities 20 years ago wasn’t dumb”, but leave at the "continue to do business blindly because, “both sides” ".
"continue to do business blindly because, “both sides” "
That’s not what I said though - to be clear, I said there’s no reason not to continue doing business with Israeli companies. Not breaking any laws, just carrying on with business.
So you think it was okay for IBM to catalogue the jews for Nazi Germany, huh?
After all, they weren’t breaking any laws, just carrying on with business?
Fucking pathetic fascist bootlicker…
You’re getting mixed up. Australia isn’t doing work for Israel - Israel is doing work for Australia.
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no reason for the Australian Government to not do business with Israeli companies if they provide a product/service that the government needs
Not supporting a country whose military and leadership are committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and running an apartheid regime is the reason. Its not rocket science.
In what small ways a country like Australia can push back against the persecution of these people, especially when its an erstwhile ally of ours committing them, we should, and stand up for the rights of humanity.
Be sure to remember there is also self interest as well as morals here. After all we Australians might one day come to rely on the safe harbours these international conventions provide that the Israeli’s (among others) are ignoring and pissing all over.
If there is no reaction and cost for these crimes, we can pack the international institutions up and lock our borders in the very real knowledge that others will come for us and our ‘stuff’, and human history shows ‘they’ always come.
Thats not a world Israelis, Australians, Palestinians or any others should want to live in. Better we call Israel out and try to reduce as much disintegration of international norms as is possible for a middle power to do.
Edit: considering the seeming Israeli worldview maybe its arguable to say they already think they live in that kind of a world. In which case Australians should be acting to dissuade Israelis of that notion, by committing to and enforcing international norms, including in attempting to check Israel.
