ANOTHER SITTING politician has travelled to Israel this week, courtesy of Australia’s largest pro-Israel lobby group, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). This time it was Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Dutton – wearing his Gina Rinehart Rossi boots – trod the well-worn path by Australian politicians who've been wined and dined in Israel’s finest establishments.
Australian politicians have enjoyed political junkets to Israel more than any other destination. Very few of them go to Gaza to see what’s really happening.
While in Israel, Dutton met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli Ministers to let them know that, should the Coalition win the next Federal Election, it intends to "strengthen" Australia's relationship with Israel. Dutton did not elaborate on exactly what that meant.
At this stage, Australia does not share an alliance with Israel or a free trade agreement. Dutton did not mention either of those things on his recent trip. Currently, Australia and Israel share a tax treaty, which was set up by former Liberal Party Minister Stuart Robert. Robert was another Australian politician who had several Israeli junkets bestowed upon him, holidaying there several times with his church group.
Dutton told Sky News, during his trip to Israel this week:
'As you know, Israel has provided intelligence to Australia over a period of time, which has resulted in the lives of Australian diggers being saved in the Middle East and I think it’s a relationship that we need to rebuild, restore and respect.'
There appears to be no "official report" issued by the Australian Government confirming Israel "saved the lives of Australian diggers". It is unclear to which incident Dutton refers to here, or when it happened.
Given this lack of public information, what is also unclear is whether Dutton inadvertently revealed secret national security information that he may have been made aware of through his roles in the previous Federal Government.
Dutton did not make any comment about the time Israel did not act like a friend to Australia — when the Israeli envoy was expelled after it was discovered Israel had stolen the identity of four Australians for fake passports which were used by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad in a Dubai assassination in 2010. Dutton first entered Federal Parliament in 2001, so he would be acutely aware of the 2010 incident.
In addition to these political junkets to Israel, the AIJAC regularly sponsors Australian journalists on trips to the Holy Land.
In 2016, Doctor of Law (now, Senior Policy Officer, NSW Government) Michael Brull was asked during a symposium in Melbourne to discuss 'why Australian journalists go on propaganda tours of Israel, instead of looking at how Israel oppresses the Palestinians'.
As reported on newmatilda.com, Brull answered:
'For some journalists, the answer is straightforward. For whatever reason, they are ideologically sympathetic to Israel and so they’re eager to go on these trips to bolster their already existing worldviews.'
Brull went on to explain that:
'... it’s a free holiday. They get paid to see the world, they get wined and dined, and they get treated like they’re important.'
However, those journalists don’t usually visit Gaza or the occupied territories but still, often return to Australia and pen pieces that are biased towards Israel.
It seems the AIJAC has worked out a way to control exactly what information about Israel is disseminated to the Australian public through politics and the media, and has been using this successful scheme for some time.
Yet this scheme has not resulted in close ties like free trade agreements or military alliances — these trips are only ever presented as "friendship strengthening".
Discerning consumers of Australian politics and media would question why, of all the countries in the world, the AIJAC and Israel need to go to such great lengths to influence Australian politics and the media. Especially when there appears to be a lack of interest in solidifying the relationship with a military alliance or trade agreements — it seems extraordinary lengths to go to just to "be friends".
Dutton did raise the point that Australia and Israel do share intelligence, even though that intelligence-sharing relationship has involved 'controversial intelligence liaisons coupled with recurring security-related scandals [which] pose significant risks and challenges to Australian national interests'.
Furthermore, it also begs the question that if Israeli intelligence failed to detect the 7 October attacks, then the quality of Israeli intelligence leaves something to be desired and may not be of much strategic use to Australia.
Political and media junkets to Israel are being carried out with alarming regularity — seemingly, no other country goes to such great lengths to influence its so-called "friends". It is an awful lot of money and trouble to go to, over many years and with many influential people in politics and media, just to bolster a friendship.
It begs the question, what do the AIJAC and Israel really want from Australia? And why do Australia’s friendships with every other country happen more organically, largely without the aid of lobby groups, junkets and political or media influence?
One thing is certain: Dutton’s trip raises more questions than provides answers about the AIJAC's and Israel's motives for this "special" friendship with Australia.
Belinda Jones is an IA columnist and political commentator. You can follow Belinda on Twitter/X @belindajones68.
