Summary
The pro-Israel lobby in Australia - providing unconscionably PR for Israel in this country whilst posing as a “community organisation” enjoying direct access to the highest levels of Government.
In the midsts of starvation in Gaza - posting the most insensitive, self interested tone deaf propaganda.
Enough is enough.
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First published: Jul 22 2025
Updated: 20 Aug 2025 (see version history)
Contents
1. Introduction
The pro-Israel lobby in Australia is a decades old, generational set of organisations who have essentially kept the Government and broader society “in check” in support of Israel for years. Another article covers this in detail1 but today was a typical tone-deaf post that really got to me.
In the midst of a genocide - with to 100 people murdered DAILY by the Israeli forces whilst waiting for food, 20 people a day dying of STARVATION and the emaciated people of Gaza across our TV screens - a pro-Israel lobby posts a typically self-interested post.
Enjoying tax-free not for profit/charity status, avoiding registration as a foreign interest group. In our midsts posing as a community organisation with immaculately presented sharp-suited lawyers as the frontmen.
Enough is enough. Time to push for a legal fightback to shut down these groups. And keep the receipts.
2. The AIPAC enablers of Australia
Look at this tone deaf horseshit posted today in the midst of the most horrific starvation in Gaza with 26 Governments including our own demanding immediate entry of aid - “delivering aid in Gaza is a complex issue”… part of a longer diatribe by the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA).
It’s absolutely appalling.
3. The Loophole
So we’ve got what is basically an Israeli state influence operation in Australia exempted from registration with the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme (FITS) through a loophole exempting charities and not-for-profits: https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/publications/fits-factsheet-7-registration-exemptions
Their entity’s operations are described on the charity and not-for-profit register for their social license to operate as:
“… involved in numerous educational and cultural projects and activities designed to promote and strengthen the relationship between Israel and the Australian Jewish and non Jewish community…”
https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/3329a517-39af-e811-a962-000d3ad24a0d/profile
Really?
Doesn’t sound like a not for profit community group to me never mind their 22 months of enabling rhetoric.
They must he held accountable in an Australian Court of Law.
4. The Opportunity: ZFA v Kostakidis
The case they brought against Mary Kostakidis is perhaps the opportunity should that case go ahead after the pre-trial review on 29th July.
If it does go ahead it may explode in their faces like the ECAJ v Haddad case did with an unexpected outcome. That was the clear legal determination of the criticism of Israel and Zionism being non-antisemitic and Zionism being “a philosophy or ideology”.
That being said it’s clear the ZFA is a political group.
If the case doesn’t go ahead then they need to be held to account by an inquiry. Since the Government won’t do it, the Courts are the only option.
5. Silencing the only political voice
The only party who has the balls … nay decency … to consistently demand Israel be held to account through action rather than endless words are the Greens. No matter what you think of their overall policies this is the right course.
And who to you think demonises them weekly most recently with a huge campaign against their candidate in Tasmania, and in the election removing Adam Bandt in Melbourne?
The “social cohesion nothing to see here” Zionist Federation of Australia and the management of other “community organisations” with similar agendas.
Campaigns against politicians critical of Israel? Sounds familiar.
The AIPAC of Australia.
Keep the receipts.
Appendix A: Pro-Israel example posts
A selection of posts below. Judge for yourself if these are from simply community organisations or from political organisations that should be registered:
23 July 2025: On the Australian Government signing the statement with 25 other countries calling for aid to be delivered to Gaza.
22 July 2025: on Senator Faruqi holding a sign in Parliament calling for action rather than than words from the Prime Minister on Gaza.
Appendix B: An open letter to the Jewish Board of Deputies from Louise Katz
On the subject of silencing dissent. A Jewish activist recently organised an event to discuss the situation in Gaza. The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies contacted the venue and pressed them to cancel the event. Louise wrote an article in John Menaduie’s Pearls and Irritations - reproduced below2.
I am part of a small group of people who intended to hold an event to discuss the situation in Gaza. Shortly before our event was scheduled, the Jewish board of Deputies pressed our venue operators to cancel the event. This incursion into our right to gather was a striking example of the ethos that informs so much of the Zionist lobby’s methods of silencing any departure from what is perceived as pro-Israel lines of argument. Thus:
I’m writing to you from Bundeena in response to your attempt to curtail our planned community meeting, the main focus of which was to discuss ways to help alleviate the suffering in Palestine, particularly the surviving children of Gaza.
You contacted our venue, and although I can’t know exactly what was said or written, I do know, by its result, that it was intimidating enough for our hosts to revoke their invitation. People were furious at this interference in their right to free speech. This is a small community – word spread.
It seems that your organisation is unaware that all the noise from various Zionist organisations globally, who frequently fuse horror at Israeli actions with antisemitism, are backfiring. It is disturbing to hear people speaking of Jewishness and Zionism as if they are synonymous. It is chilling to witness the conflation of disgust at Israeli Government policies with Judaism. So much damage is being done to Jews globally by this overreach and I fear the backlash that is coming, led by actual antisemites who will certainly see Israel’s war and Zionist arrogance as good enough reasons to attack Jews anywhere.
Let people speak. Do not try to silence us. And encourage the brutal government you seem to support unconditionally to come to its senses, instead of directing your antipathy outwards, toward compassionate, peace-loving people. Stop using the dreadfulness of 7 October as an excuse to support this vile hate-building exercise in Gaza and the extension of Israel into Gaza and the West Bank. Such grotesque excess is unconscionable. Israel cannot “win” militarily. All that will emerge from this hideous debacle is generations of people hating Israel – and Jews. Describing the understandable horror that so many people feel about the abuse of human rights in Palestine is not antisemitic. Silencing this dissent is breeding antisemitism.
… I received a reply to this letter in which the author expressed the concern that we were creating division rather than promoting dialogue (although how closing down conversations promotes dialogue is a strategy with which I’m unfamiliar). My response, in part, follows:
Nevertheless, we secured a new venue and screened The Endgame, a film that asks whether the forced transfer of Palestinians from their lands is Israel’s ultimate goal, and does not, as you write, “draw on conspiracy theories that echo longstanding antisemitic blood libels”. Perhaps you have not seen the film? Two of the original three speakers attended, and gave fascinating talks about Australian involvement in the technologies of war, particularly in Israel/Palestine, and historical background to the Gaza genocide was the other main feature. Some of the audience were very moved, particularly the Jewish attendees, who are appalled at the temerity of Zionist lobbyists who hold that to deplore the actions of Israel is to be antisemitic.
Our event did indeed promote dialogue, not division. We welcomed any interested parties to attend and participate, rather than trying to close anyone down. Indeed, it was the largest crowd we’ve seen so far at our small symposia series where our community discusses philosophical and cultural issues on a regular basis. More meetings are planned on subjects to do with Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, and particularly what Ehud Olmert has referred to as Israel’s “war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians”.
You claim to represent the NSW Jewish community; however, there are those of us of Jewish heritage who certainly do not think you stand for us. Nor do I believe you are “well-placed to navigate relationships between Judaism and Zionism” as you claim. In fact, it seems you are wilfully blinding yourselves in a kind of rhetorical fog that can, at best, emit platitudes to do with “blood libels” etc, when people express their horror of the massive and relentless overkill currently decimating Gaza.
As I mentioned in my previous email, I believe that members of the “pro-Israel” lobby are effectively doing the opposite to what they intend; that is, inculcating “anti-Israel” sentiment, while also hardening people’s hearts globally against Jews. Uncritical acceptance of any atrocity committed in the name of Jews or of Israel’s “safety” are gutting the spirit of social justice still so central to many Jewish people. This does incalculable harm to all. Israeli messianic territorialism is not Judaism.
Your attempts to reconfigure peace-builders as perpetrators of “hate” is a cruel and dangerous lie in the face of the murder and starvation of an entire people. Showing films and holding talks about what the IDF is doing in Palestine, and how powerful industrial and advocacy groups comply with this, is not promoting conspiracy theories or antisemitic tropes, as you suggest, it’s simply looking at the appalling reality we’re confronted with daily.
Yours sincerely,
Louise Katz
📚 Further Reading
Sleekit Scotsman ☮️🏴 Substack Related Articles with article summaries.
An Australian Federal Court as part of a legal ruling clearly defines that criticism of Israel or Zionism is not antisemitic, and furthermore defines Zionism as “a philosophy or ideology” (first published Jul 15 2025):
the legal ruling and examples cited
a 2024 UK ruling with a similar definition
Tishby v Foster
Appendices of prominent Jewish antizionist voices and groups
![[VERSION2.0] Submission to the Australian People's Inquiry into Campus Free Speech on Palestine](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rmNi!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F04b7b00b-d490-446d-91d2-3a5135ff6a4b_1433x1434.png)
A submission of evidence of the suppression of free speech at Sydney University during 2024 to a People’s Inquiry (first published April 15 2025). Provides examples at Sydney University but also extensively looks at the broader Australian political and societal structures contributing to that suppression:
Sydney University suppression of free speech & recommendations to address
Pro-Israel campus organisations
The introduction of IHRA to University governance
Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal - a history of pro-Israel bias
The JCA on antisemitism statistics
The impact of being tarred “antisemitic”
Definitions of antisemitism
Vilification of protestors
Media misrepresentation
Analysis of NewsCorp media misrepresentation of the 2023 Voice Referendum
Lobbying for Israel: language and communication strategies
Political vilification
The Pro-Israel lobby and the Australian Parliament
🗄️ Version History - Article Updates
First published: Jul 22 2025
Last Update: Jul 23 2025
Sleekit Scotsman ☮️🏴 articles are updated periodically to add latest information on the subject of the article for relevance
Updates
20 Aug 2025: added in section on censorship - Appendix B: An open letter to the Jewish Board of Deputies from Louise Katz
23rd July 2025: Expanded to a full article - updated Appendix with example posts.
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📋 References
Sleekit Scotsman “Australian Pro-Israel Lobby: Modus Operandi” (first published Jan 10 2024) -
https://sleekitscotsman.substack.com/p/australian-pro-israeli-lobby-modus
Pearls and Irritations: Louise Katz Aug 15 2025 “An open letter to the Jewish Board of Deputies“ - https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/08/an-open-letter-to-the-jewish-board-of-deputies/