Posted Tue 23 Jan 2024 at 7:08pmTuesday 23 Jan 2024 at 7:08pm, updated Wed 24 Jan 2024 at 6:25am
Another example of an Australian State acting without any thought of Australian citizens and their connections to Palestine and wishes for peace and justice – Mark
- In short: The Victorian government signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel’s defence ministry in December 2022.
- The government says the agreement aims to identify projects that could yield manufacturing and job opportunities.
- However, commentators say the agreement is “unusual” for a state government, and should raise alarm bells given the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Victoria quietly signed an agreement with Israel’s Ministry of Defence (IMOD) a year ago to collaborate on projects and foster trade relations, deepening the state’s ties with an increasingly controversial partner.
The state government says the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) — a non-binding document signalling the intentions of both parties — aims to identify projects that can deliver advanced manufacturing capabilities and highly skilled jobs for Victoria.
The agreement is listed on the Australian government’s Foreign Arrangements Scheme register, as required by law, but the contents are not public.
However, there is no record of the MoU, signed in December 2022, on state government websites.
The Victorian government only confirmed the document to the ABC after repeated questioning, and said the MoU was not legally binding and that no projects had yet been undertaken.
“As Australia’s advanced manufacturing capital, we are always exploring economic and trade opportunities for our state — especially those that create local jobs,” a spokesperson for the government said.
Agreement would have been ‘uncontroversial’ before Gaza war: expert
Defence analyst Michael Shoebridge said it was “highly unusual” for a state government to sign an agreement with a foreign power’s defence ministry.
“I think it would have been entirely uncontroversial before the Israel-Hamas war. But now, of course, there’s live domestic debate about the war, and … most people are concerned about civilian casualties,” he said.
“I think it’s an example where the federal government would want to be quite careful about the kinds of relationships that state governments have.”
When asked about the deal on Wednesday, Victorian government minister Gabrielle Williams declined to discuss its contents in detail but noted it was signed before the recent Gaza conflict.
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