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January 19, 2024
Foreign affairs correspondent Foreign Minister Penny Wong has warned Palestinian officials that Australian taxpayers' aid cannot be used to foment violence and hatred, amid a backlash to a $6 million handout for a key United Nations body that has been accused of anti-Israel bias.
Nearing the end of a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank, Senator Wong also strengthened her criticism of Israeli settler violence after meeting representatives of Palestinian communities that were victims of attacks.
"Such violence inflames tensions and undermines stability in the West Bank," Senator Wong said in a post on social media platform X.
She declared terror group Hamas had no future role in the governance of Gaza following its October 7 attack on Israel but urged the creation of a "political horizon" for the fulfilment of the two-state solution to end the conflict.
"It is clear from the conflict that the path to peace demands a just and enduring two-state solution. It demands the recognition of Palestinians' aspirations for statehood and it demands security for Israelis," she said.
Reiterating the need for a humanitarian ceasefire, Senator Wong overnight is due to meet United Nations Relief Works Agency commissioner Philippe Lazzarini, who leads the key organisation vested with providing services such as education and health to millions of Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.
This week, Senator Wong committed $6 million to UNRWA to provide urgent "lifesaving assistance" including food, shelter and emergency health care for Gazans. The organisation has been criticised for an anti-Israel stance, with claims staff celebrated the October 7 attacks and that it glorifies terrorism and incites hatred against Jews.
There have also been accusations Hamas has placed rockets in UNRWA schools and allegedly siphoned funds from the aid agency.
Senator Wong defended Australia's contribution but said she had raised with the Palestinian Authority that UNRWA funds needed to be used appropriately.
"We want services to be provided, we want health services to be provided, we want children to be educated. And UNRWA is the only entity which is able to do that for Palestinians and that is why we support them," she said.
"I expressed to them [the PA] that it was extremely important, given the focus on this, that any funds Australia provides are used appropriately for the provision of the services that we are seeking to fund. And we wanted to make sure that there was appropriate transparency around that and work to ensure that that is the case."
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson said tougher scrutiny was required given the PA had been kicked out of Gaza by Hamas.
"I have no idea how the Palestinian Authority is able to assure that Australian taxpayers' money will not be misspent in Gaza, will not be appropriated by Hamas," he said.
"If that is Penny Wong's only plan to ensure Australian taxpayers' dollars don't end up inadvertently funding terrorism, then I think it's totally inadequate."
Senator Wong's visit comes as the Albanese government faces pressure to follow the US and list Yemen's Houthi rebels as terrorists over their campaign of missile and drone attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. US and UK military counterstrikes have failed to deter attacks.
America's relisting of the Iranianbacked Houthis as "global terrorists" is intended to cut off the flow of funding to the group, although aid groups have warned the designation threatens delivery of humanitarian supplies.
Senator Paterson last week wrote to Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil urging the Houthis be designated a terror group, alongside Hamas and Lebanese militia Hezbollah, both of which are also aligned with Iran.
A government spokesman said Australia had already imposed targeted sanctions on the Houthis.
"The Albanese government takes advice from security agencies about the listing of terrorist organisations," the spokesman said.
"It is the government's long-standing practice not to comment on whether or not an organisation is being, or has been considered for listing under any sanctions framework or the Criminal Code."
