2024-08-02
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and International Aid spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has said that the assertion in the report by Special Adviser Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC that Israeli forces did not deliberately target the World Central Kitchen vehicle that killed seven aid workers, including Australian Zomi Frankcom, is a whitewash and underscores the need for an independent war crimes investigation.
Binskin notes in his report that he “had no investigative powers” and his findings were largely based on voluntary “engagements, meetings and conversations” with officials from Israel and its principal western supporters as well as World Central Kitchen and Solace Global.
This cannot be treated as a conclusive report, but rather one that only serves to reinforce the Labor government’s soft position on Israel and allow it to skirt taking meaningful action, like sanctions, on an apartheid, genocidal state that has killed an Australian aid worker along with more than 250 aid workers.
The Senator reiterates the call for an independent investigation.
Quotes attributable to Senator Mehreen Faruqi:
“This report is a complete whitewashing of the Israeli attack. It just seems nonsensical that Israel couldn’t identify three separate World Central Kitchen vehicles that they bombed and which killed Zomi Frankcom and six more aid workers.
“Israel has a long record of targeting humanitarian aid workers, and it is delusional for the Labor government to think these were mistakes.
“Incident after incident has shown that Israel cannot be trusted to investigate itself. And yet Binskin’s report, done with no investigative powers, relies significantly on Israel’s investigation into the attack on World Central Kitchen and includes voluntary conversations with Israeli officials.
“We will only uncover the facts and details with an independent investigation. If there is nothing to hide, let’s have a war crimes investigation.
“Labor cannot hide behind weak reports to avoid taking strong action against Israel.
“Minister Wong’s call for Israel to improve coordination with humanitarian organisations is a waste of time and more weasel words. An Australian aid worker was killed trying to help civilians in a genocide. She needs to impose sanctions on Israel and expel the Israeli ambassador.”