Israel criticises Labor’s draft Palestine policy in rare foreign intervention ahead of party conference

Israel has intervened in the internal affairs of Australia's Labor Party, publicly criticizing a draft policy platform that it claims places undue blame on Israel for the Gaza conflict while neglecting the actions of Palestinian militant groups. The Israeli Embassy in Canberra released a detailed four-page statement on Monday addressing the proposed positions on Palestine, Hamas, and settler violence in the West Bank, which are scheduled to be discussed at the Labor Party's upcoming national conference in Adelaide. The statement emphasized that the draft policy, still in its preliminary stages, risks attributing primary responsibility for the ongoing conflict solely to Israel, while failing to adequately address the roles and responsibilities of Palestinian leadership and organizations such as Hamas. The embassy noted that it would continue engaging constructively with the Australian Labor Party through standard diplomatic channels, but expressed concern over certain aspects of the proposed platform. This level of involvement by a foreign government in the internal political processes of another nation is highly unusual and underscores the existing tensions between the Australian Labor Party and the Israeli government. The Labor Party's platform, which undergoes revision every three years during its national conferences, outlines the party's stances on a variety of issues, including its position on Israel and Palestine. The 2026 draft platform significantly diverges from the 2023 version, reflecting changes in government policy following the Hamas attacks on 7 October and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza. The earlier document had minimal content regarding Israel and Palestine, focusing primarily on recognizing a Palestinian state, a policy officially adopted by the government in August of last year. In contrast, the current draft includes proposals to oppose the annexation of Palestinian territories and advocate for an end to settler violence and the occupation. The Albanese government has consistently condemned settler violence in the West Bank, recently collaborating with other Western countries to implement new sanctions against those responsible. According to the Israeli embassy, settler violence, which it characterized as a "reprehensible but marginal phenomenon", has received disproportionate attention compared to the terrorism faced by both Jewish and Arab Israelis at the hands of groups like Hamas. The embassy suggested that efforts toward peace would benefit more from focusing on the threat posed by Hamas rather than scrutinizing settler activities. The embassy also pointed out linguistic changes in the draft platform, noting that a line stating "Hamas must disarm and can have no role in the State of Palestine," present in an initial version, was omitted from the final draft. However, the final version still identifies Hamas as a perpetrator of terrorism and violent extremism. The Israeli embassy urged all political entities to formulate policies based on historical conditions necessary for enduring peace rather than on assigning blame. It reiterated Israel's commitment to a future where Israelis and Palestinians coexist peacefully, emphasizing that such a future cannot be achieved through unilateral political statements or international pressure focused exclusively on one side. Anne Aly, the minister for multicultural affairs, remained composed when questioned about the embassy's intervention, stating that Israel would pursue its own course of action. The language within the platform is anticipated to face debate at the conference, with factions within the Labor Party, those supporting Palestine and those aligned with Israel, likely to advocate for modifications during the proceedings. Penny Wong, the foreign affairs minister, did not provide any comments on the issue.