Secret Agreements: The Australian-Israel Defence Memorandum of Understanding
While the Australian government continues to pirouette with shallow constancy on the issue of Israel’s war in Gaza, making vacuous utterances on Palestinian statehood even as it denies supplying the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) with weapons (spare parts, it would seem, are a different, footnoted matter), efforts made to unearth details of the defence relationship between the countries have so far come to naught.
The brief on Australian-Israel relations published by the Department of Trade and Foreign Affairs is deplorably skimpy, noting that both countries have, since 2017, “expanded cooperation on national security, defence and cyber security.” Since 2018, we are told that annual talks have been conducted between defence officials, while Australia appointed, in early 2018, a resident Defence Attaché to the embassy in Tel Aviv. What is conspicuously absent are details of the Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation both countries signed in 2017.
A little bit of scrapping around reveals that 2017 was something of a critical year, a true bumper return. The Australia-Israel Defence Industry Cooperation Joint Working Group was created that October. A following Australian Defence media release notes the group’s intention: “to strengthen ties between Australia and Israel, explore defence industry and innovation opportunities, identify export opportunities, and support our industries to cooperate in the development of innovative technologies for shared capability challenges.”
The intentions of the group were well borne out. Defence contracts followed with sweet indulgence: the February 2018 contract between Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with Australia’s Bisalloy Steels worth A$900,000; an August 2018 joint venture between the Australian defence engineering company Varley Group and Rafael, behind such “leading weapons systems” as “the Spike LR2 anti-tank guided missile”; and the Electro Optic Systems-Elbit Systems agreement from 2019 responsible for developing “a modular medium-calibre turret that can be configured for a range of platforms, including lightweight reconnaissance and heavy fighting vehicles.”
In February this year, Elbit Systems, Israel’s notorious drone manufacturer and creator of the Hermes 450 aerial device responsible for this month’s killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers including the Australian national, Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, was rewarded with a A$917 million contract. Business, even over bodies, exerts a corrupting force.
In a heartbeat after the outbreak of the latest Gaza War last October, the Australian Greens filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request seeking a copy of the barely mentioned MOU. After a period of three months, the Australian Defence Department reached the boring conclusion that the application should be rejected. It fell, the argument went, within the category of exemptions so treasured by secretive bureaucrats keen to make sure the “freedom” in FOI is kept spare and bare.
What follows is repulsive to intellect and denigrating to morality. “The document within the scope of this request,” went the letter from the Defence Department, “contains information which, if released, could reasonably be expected to damage the international relations of the Commonwealth.” The MOU “contains information communicated to Australia by a foreign government and its officials under the expectation that it would not be disclosed.” Releasing “such information could harm Australia’s international standing and reputation.”
A telling, and troubling role was played by Israel in the process. With characteristic, jellied spinelessness, Australian defence officials notified Israel of the FOI request in December 2023. In February, the Netanyahu government responded with its views, of which we can only speculate. The Greens were duly informed by the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) that the relevant decision maker in Defence “will consider the foreign government’s consultation response to make an informed and robust decision.” With such words, a negative response was nigh predictable.
Greens Senator David Shoebridge, in responding to the decision, was adamant that, “There is no place for secret arms treaties and secret arms deals between countries.” Furthermore, there was “no place for giving other countries veto power over what the Australian government tells the public about our government defence and arms deals.” The case is even more pressing given allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide taking place in the Gaza strip.
This regrettable episode retains a certain familiar repulsiveness. Unfortunately for devotees of open government, a fraught term if ever there was one, Australia’s FOI regime remains stringently archaic and pathologically secretive.
Decision makers are given directions to frustrate, not aid applications to reveal information, notably on sensitive topics such as security, defence and international relations. Spurious notions about damage to international relations are advanced to ensure secrecy and the muzzling of debate. The OAIC has also shown itself to be lamentably weak, tardy and inefficient in reviewing applications. In March 2023, it was revealed that almost 600 unresolved FOI cases had bottled up over the course of three years.
The latest refusal from the Defence Department to disclose the Israel-Australian MOU to members of Parliament, a decision reached after discussions with a foreign power (that fact is staggering and disheartening in of itself), betrays much doubletalk regarding defence ties between Canberra, the IDF, and the Israeli government. More than that, it confirms that those in Canberra are being steered by other interests, longing for the approval of foreign eyes and foreign interests.
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12 comments
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Harry Lime -
Clakka -
Canguro -
Kerri -
Harry Lime -
Andyfiftysix -
Douglas Pritchard -
Harry Lime -
Douglas Pritchard -
Clakka -
Harry Lime -
Return to home pageIt has been repeated ad nauseum over the decades that” the first casualty of war is truth” It’s glaringly obvious that truth has been waylaid and assassinated long before any shooting war.See: Iraq,etc. etc.As the 51st State of the US,we can expect this to continue.
With the shit ramping up in the Middle East,we’ll soon see who’s calling the shots…so to speak.h
It’s quite obvious our Govt maintains guilt by association. The long-practiced defense platitude of ‘deterrence’ so as to obtain detente is turned to absolute BS. As in this example, how can one affect ‘deterrence’ when one doesn’t reveal what one’s got or are planning to get? Albeit it’s probably OK not to reveal the minutia of an assemblage.
After all we wouldn’t want to breach ‘commercial-in-confidence’ or affect collateral damage, would we.
I suppose we wouldn’t want to put the spooks out of work either. Can’t help wondering who has copies of the keys to the vaults of secrecy.
FMD. the bullshit never ceases to amaze me… nah, actually I made that up; I’m not amazed at all, knowing human nature & behaviour as I believe I do, but nevertheless, the shamelessness of it all is a never ending car crash gawkfest, as in…
‘Biden denounces ‘unprecedented’ attack‘ per Iran’s drone swarm on Israel; this after Israel’s executive attack on an Iranian diplomatic station within a third party country, Syria, aimed at taking out high-ranking Iranian military commanders: Note… there was no condemnation of this blatantly ‘illegal’ breach of convention and the also glaring lack of provocation from the Iranian side of the issue… but when Iran responds, as you’d expect her to, it’s shock, horror, bad Iran, naughty Iran, how dare they, Iran, and all the rest of the usual nauseating hypocrisy that substitutes for honesty and rigour in observation & comment; and truth be damned.
If my turn to play ‘King of the World’ for a day ever comes around, I’m gonna institute a new rule that says if anyone in any position of power or influence be it political, military, commercial, theological, economic, financial or whatever else tells a lie, then he or she will be forced to wear a Scold’s Bridle for a designated period of time, the bigger the lie and the bigger the consequences the longer the bridle stays on. Fuck ’em… I’m utterly sick & tired of this planet being run by liars, crooks & thieves.
Wasn’t it Christopher Pyne’s belief that we should make arming the world’s warmongers our aim for a future economy?
@ Kerri, I think it was the grinning Pyne’s belief that he should waltz into the private defence industry on a bulging pay packet, given his sterling service on behalf of the warmongering lobbyists.Who knew?
Peaheart Turnbull made similar noises during his brief minding the throne stint.But he didn’t need the money.
i think the middle east will go where it wants. I understand why Iran has been hostile to the US but its gotten to the stage where most people will say get over it or fuck off. Israel like wise, we understand the historical blunders that allowed its formation. We also know its character very well and dont like what we see. Iran starting war with israel? Both sides are equaly detestable at the moment. Easy to say let them go for it, but there are lots of innocent people who will get slaughtered. Iran is an arsehole country, but israel has stuck its fingers up everyone’s arse and now is getting its rewards. If the palestinian issue was settle 70yrs ago, iran would be but another pimple instead of a big infection….israel gave them a reason. The american connection? Just dumb arses following their christian agendas.
I just hope we dont get sucked in. Let the fuckers rain bombs on each other if they want, we have no skin in this game, what so ever. Sorry if i appear blunt, but there is no other solution on offer.
A56,
Did you forget that Iran has OIL?
So, because fossil fuels are still the rage, they should be listened to, and I dont know where you get the impression its an arsehole country, apart from western propoganda?
You want to see an arsehole country look no further that USA..
The elephant in the room? Israel has NUKES.
Harry,
But has it really got nukes, or is this another of the lies that frequently come from Israel?
Certainly its a major deterrent, and probably the only weapon that allows it to exist surrounded by enemies.
In Australia we use our submarines to deter any thoughts of invasion, even though only we know they are possibly going to arrive some time in the future.
If your enemy has discovered a way to neutralise this threat then you are cooked.
Ukraine is running out of bullets coming from USA, so that is winding down, and the same may happen to its bestie in the middle east if the US taxpayer finds out what is really going on
For 6,000 years, Persia / Iran has been one of the most successful dominant empires of the world. Persisting through the conquests of Alexander the Great, the Arabs, and the coming of Islam. Its complex socio-political history from Cyrus the Great to the various versions of Islamic culture and the Mongol incursions were always steadied and underpinned by its bountiful resources and its influence via its strategically superior location.
In my travels mid-70s, I met many happy, smart and erudite Iranians, traveling for both business and holidays. No doubt they exist today, but if still in Khomeini’s Iran, quite likely in abject fear.
Through the 19th and 20th century, after Russia and Britain then Britain and America (for oil) meddled and duped in Iran, through several coups, they saw off the modernizing Shahs. Particularly Mhd Reza, a strange labile Shah, who loved his country, and brought massive reform and socio-economic benevolence to the ordinary folk, albeit he maintained an ruthless antipathy towards Arabs and Islam. It would seem that via both ignorance and design the blundering British and Americans, not being able to compete with Iran’s wealth, toadied its resources, vowing to protect him and his state, whilst at the same time through religious / moral censorious undermining and xenophobia, drove him to a maddened hubris, the state to revolution, ultimately supplanting him and democratic government with the returned Khomeini and his increasingly brutal 40 year theocracy that persists today.
What does the American hegemony along with Britain and the ‘west’ (and Russia) expect after 150 years of blundering meddling in the Middle East – Israel / Palestine, Iraq and Iran, and etc.?
They’d best have some better plans on the table.
Douglas,the Israelis were hellbent on getting nukes from about 1948 onwards, and worked very closely with ..France for years on development.The frogs supplied the reactor, in the Negev, I think.The Israelis have always maintained a neither confirm nor deny,but plenty of credible reports
(you can look them up) suggest they have as many as 90 warheads.We may find out soon enough unfortunately. given the criminals controlling the country.
In other good news, the fuckwit Lehrmann has had his pants well and truly pulled down in his specious defamation suit.
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