Israel has come out strongly against a draft policy document put forward by the Australian Labor Party, accusing the party of presenting a one-sided view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that places too much blame on Israel and not enough on Hamas and Palestinian leadership.
The Israeli Embassy in Canberra released a four-page statement taking issue with several proposals expected to be debated at Labor’s national conference this week, arguing the draft fails to accurately represent the origins and nature of the conflict.
“The Embassy of Israel notes these policy motions are still in draft form, and will continue to engage constructively with the Australian Labor Party through the usual diplomatic channels,” the statement read.
The embassy went on to say: “However, the embassy respectfully submits that several elements of the draft platform risk placing responsibility for the conflict on one party while giving insufficient attention to the decisions, conduct and continuing obligations of the Palestinian leadership and terrorist organizations such as Hamas.”
Israeli officials also pushed back against what they characterized as genocide allegations directed at Israel, and took issue with how much attention the draft gives to violence carried out by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The embassy called settler violence a “reprehensible but marginal phenomenon,” arguing it receives disproportionate attention in the document.
“Those seeking peace would be better served to focus its scrutiny on the terrorism experienced by both Jewish and Arab Israelis at the hands of terrorist groups such as Hamas,” the statement added.
The timing of the statement coincides with Labor’s triennial national conference in Adelaide, where party delegates are set to vote on official positions covering both domestic and foreign policy matters, including the party’s stance on Israel and the Palestinians.
The proposed 2026 platform goes considerably further than the party’s 2023 document, which only touched on the issue in the context of recognizing a Palestinian state — a step the Australian government officially took last August. The newer draft includes language opposing annexation of Palestinian territory and calls for an end to settler violence and what it refers to as “the occupation.”
Israeli officials also flagged a notable change made during the drafting process. An earlier version of the document contained language stating, “Hamas must disarm and can have no role in the State of Palestine,” but that line was dropped before the final conference draft was completed. Even so, the current version still identifies Hamas as responsible for terrorism and violent extremism.
Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong declined to offer any comment on the matter.
