Public servants call on Australia to stop arming Israel

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Public servants have condemned the Australian government for its “complicity” in genocide of Palestinians, demanding Canberra “immediately cease” all military exports to Israel.

In a public letter to the prime minister, over 350 such government employees have expressed “deep concern” that Anthony Albanese was “leading Australia to be complicit in an additional genocide, an additional colonial project, staining this nation with more war crimes.”

The protesting public servants are employed across local, state and federal governments.

“These war crimes are again in the service of foreign powers,” the letter reads.

The public demand comes a day after lawmakers in Australian federal parliament blocked a motion to formally recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Greens party-backed motion generated five votes in favor while 80 lawmakers voted against it.

Addressing Albanese, the letter reads: “we … write to you from stolen land, land that was never ceded by First Nations peoples who are still engaged in the struggle for liberation.”

“We call on the Australian government to take swift and decisive action to end its support of the genocide, ethnic cleansing and illegal occupation of Palestine by immediately ceasing all military exports to Israel,” it added.

The letter notes that the term ‘Israel’ refers to the “settler state that has been conducting genocide in historic Palestine since 1948.”

The public servants feared that Canberra “may now be violating international law and complicit in criminal warfare.”

“State officials who fail to stop exporting weapons or munitions to Israel may be criminally liable for aiding and abetting war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide,” said the letter, citing warnings by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

- Australia’s weapons support to Israel

Referring to the killing of 36,170 Palestinians in Gaza by Israel since Oct. 7, the letter said Palestinian civilians have been “massacred with parts manufactured in Australia, and with Australian intelligence support.”

“The bombs killing and maiming a population that is nearly 80% refugees and nearly 50% children are dropped by F-35 warplanes with parts exclusively manufactured in Australia,” it said.

“The drone that killed Zomi Frankcom was made by Elbit Systems, the company Australia awarded nearly $1 billion of public funds in February 2024,” it added.

It recalled Australia had issued over 350 military export permits to Israel since 2017.

New data reveals that “Australia has, during the current atrocities, increased its arms exports to Israel,” said the public servants, citing official figures.

“The US-controlled Pine Gap surveillance base, hosted by Australia near Alice Springs, supplies intelligence from Palestine to the Israeli military,” said the letter.

The public servants doubled down on their demand that Albanese government immediately cease supplying all military parts and weapons to Israel, including components of the F-35 supply chain, and impose a two-way arms embargo on Israel.

Besides, it said, Canberra should cease providing reconnaissance support from the Pine Gap facility, from which the US shares surveillance data with Israel.

It asked Albanese government to “cancel all contracts and cooperation with Israeli weapons suppliers, including its $917 million contract with Elbit Systems to supply components for the Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles.”