2025-11-03
The Department of Defence has reportedly quietly issued an email to Australian defence manufacturers stating that they can no longer directly export to Israel.
This is a victory for the peace movement and shows the impact of the growing public revolt with Australia’s continued two-way arms trade with Israel.
Correspondence reported by The Nightly, sent to select defence companies from Defence Export Controls, said that a new condition is being imposed on them that prevents “approved goods” from being sent to Israel.
Senator David Shoebridge, Greens spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, said:
“This is still a real victory for those millions of Australians who have been calling, organising and marching for peace and justice in Gaza."
“After two years of growing public opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza the Albanese Government has been forced to act.
“This was not announced by Labor or Defence, it has been disclosed through journalists doing their job and uncovering the truth.
“More work needs to be done to clarify the exact reach of this latest development but it does not look like it will impact weapons parts for the F35 fighter jet going from Australia to Israel.
“The Albanese government still says all decisions to send F35 parts from Australia to Israel are made by the US government and US weapons manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
“This change also leaves open the possibility of Australian weapons manufacturers washing their weapons and parts to Israel through the US under AUKUS pillar 2.
“Having been forced to take this first step, we now need to push for a complete two-way weapons ban with Israel.
“The government cannot cherry-pick which weapons to send into a genocide, ending the two-way arms trade with Israel must mean ending it all.
“The Greens will keep working alongside our friends in civil society to force Australia to comply with international law and basic humanity.
“We do this because it is right and we do it because it is working.”