AIJAC mourns the tragic death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom

We welcome Israel’s decision to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation to ascertain exactly what happened and work to ensure it does not happen again. Initial indications are that lack of coordination within a field unit, due to human error, caused this terrible tragedy. We trust Israel will ensure accountability for whoever is responsible for this heartbreaking error and the IDF will draw appropriate operational lessons to ensure such a shocking incident is never repeated.

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What recent ISKP attacks reveal about US, Russian and Iranian intelligence agencies

This is also a demonstration of the very different roles intelligence agencies play in Western countries as opposed to despotisms. In the former, the agencies exist in part to protect citizens from threats, while in the latter, they exist to protect the regime and to monitor, oppress, intimidate, kidnap or kill their own citizens domestically and abroad. Because of this remit and resource allocation, countries like Iran or Russia are not particularly capable of, or even very interested in, thwarting such attacks.

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Backing UNRWA will not bring Middle East peace

Given there are clear aid delivery alternatives, as well as UNRWA’s documented collusion with terrorists, the Australian Government’s decision makes little sense. By restoring funding, it will be undermining its own primary foreign policy goal in the Middle East, namely encouraging a negotiated resolution involving two states living in peace.

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Anti-Zionism is an abhorrent ideology, regardless of antisemitism

If the massacres and kidnappings on October 7 and the humanitarian consequences of Israel’s war of self-defense in Gaza are not desirable outcomes — and if people still believe in the international order and the illegitimacy of advocating genocide and the destruction of recognized UN member states — then anti-Zionist advocacy of any sort must be socially and politically stigmatized regardless of whether anti-Zionism is considered antisemitic.

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