2024-05-15
The Victorian Labor Government has been asked to come clean on its secretive relationship with Israel’s Defence Ministry, after a motion was passed in the Upper House earlier today.
The Greens’ motion, which passed, requires the government to produce details of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) Labor signed with the Ministry within the next four weeks.
It will also require Labor to produce any documents related to its partnership with Elbit Systems – Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer.
Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell, said at a time when Israel was indiscriminately killing tens of thousands of Palestinians, Labor could in no way justify maintaining relationships with the Israeli Ministry of Defence and Israeli weapons manufacturers that were facilitating the ongoing genocide.
She said it was time for Labor to end these relationships or risk being complicit in the atrocities happening in Palestine.
In January, the ABC reported that the government had quietly signed an MoU with Israel's defence ministry in 2022 to provide manufacturing capacity for Israel.
And prior to that, the government had begun a partnership with Elbit Systems, the largest Israeli military manufacturer, establishing the Human and Machine Teaming Centre for Excellence in Victoria.
Quotes attributable to Leader of the Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell MP:
“The Labor Premier should join the millions of people calling for a permanent ceasefire and lasting peace. Instead, Labor has entered an unconscionable agreement with the Israeli Defence Ministry and a partnership with Israel's largest weapons manufacturer.
“In just seven months Israel has killed or injured more than 100,000 Palestinian people. They’ve destroyed hospitals, homes and schools. They’ve created a famine and denied access to drinking water and medical supplies.
“If Labor stands by their MoU with the Israeli Ministry of Defence and their support for Israeli weapons manufacturers, they risk being complicit in the atrocities happening in Palestine.”