A state parliamentarian in New South Wales has formally requested the federal government investigate potential foreign interference by Israel, following the publication of a dossier that names him and other Australian politicians.
Call for Federal Investigation
Anthony D'Adam, a Labor member of the NSW Legislative Council and convener of Labor Friends of Palestine, wrote to the Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke, on Monday. In his letter, he urged the minister to examine whether the Israeli government has breached Australia's foreign influence laws.
The request centres on a document authored by Israel's Ministry for Diaspora Affairs and published in September. The dossier, which was referenced in The Australian newspaper earlier this month, identifies 25 groups and individuals it claims are promoting antisemitic and anti-Zionist content.
Contents of the Controversial Dossier
The report lists several federal politicians alongside activist groups. Those named include former Greens leader Adam Bandt, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, and independent senators Fatima Payman and Lidia Thorpe. Bandt and Faruqi are singled out as among the top ten generators of such material.
D'Adam, a long-time advocate for Palestinian recognition and a critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, emphatically rejected the accusation of antisemitism. He stated the dossier's purpose was clearly to intimidate and discredit critics of the Israeli government.
"The Israeli government, through the publication of this dossier, is seeking to interfere in Australian political discourse by attempting to intimidate and discredit critics," D'Adam wrote in his letter to Minister Burke.
Allegations of Foreign Interference
D'Adam highlighted that the document included a photograph of him and his partner, which he described as a clear intimidation tactic. He questioned the disparity in response, asking how Australia would react if similar dossiers were produced by nations like China or Iran.
"It's clearly designed to intervene in Australian political discourse. It's aimed at denigrating and stigmatising individuals and to discourage them from criticising Israel," he told Guardian Australia.
He also raised concerns that the compilation of the dossier likely relied on sources within Australia, potentially involving Australian citizens or residents in activities that could constitute foreign interference. He pointed to the Department of Home Affairs' own regular "Anti-Israel Protest Forecast" as an example of similar monitoring.
In response to media enquiries, a spokesperson for Minister Burke confirmed that "correspondence which contains allegations of unlawful conduct is passed on to relevant agencies as a matter of course."
The Israeli embassy in Australia has been contacted for comment regarding the dossier and the allegations made by the NSW MP.
