Labor Friends of Israel are dedicated to fostering strong connections between the Australian Labour movement and the state of Israel. Our mission is to promote understanding, and encourage collaboration between Australia and Israel.
If you are a journalist you can contact us at contact@laborfriendsofisrael.au. We can assist you with any requests for comment, interviews or speakers and presenters.
So that we can respond as soon as possible, please let us know:
We aim to respond in detail and within your deadline. If this isn’t possible, we’ll let you know as soon as we can.
Labor Friends of Israel is immensely proud of Australian Labor’s long-standing commitment to, and support for, the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in their historic homeland and the State of Israel. Australia, led by Labor Prime Minister Ben Chifley, was the first country in the world to formally recognise Israel in January 1949 following mammoth efforts of External Affairs Minister H.V ‘Doc’ Evatt who has also served as President of the UN General Assembly in the preceding years.
As well as our relationship with Israel, Jewish Australians – some of whom arrived on the First Fleet in 1788 – have played a significant and positive role in all aspects of multicultural Australian life, from politics and the ALP, trade unions, business, philanthropy, the law, science and medicine, academia, journalism and creative arts. Through these friendships and traditions, we seek to encourage members of the Jewish community to support the Australian Labor Party. We support the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism (IHRA) and support its adoption within the ALP. We also seek to promote social cohesion and fight racism in all its forms in Australia.
We celebrate Israel’s record as a beacon of democracy, the rule of law and protector of minority rights in the Middle East. We stand with all Israelis who seek to realise and expand the goal of equality set out in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. We recognise that Israel is the only country founded as a socialist enterprise and celebrate the enduring fraternal relationship between the Australian and Israeli Labor parties.
We seek to engage with all party members and supporters across Australia to ensure Labor maintains this long friendship and the ALP’s sensible policy position towards the only nation in the Middle East that shares our party’s values in its commitment to democracy, freedom of association and trade union rights, a free press, a free judiciary, equality of the sexes, the rights and protections for LGBTQIA+ people, and protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
We support diplomatic efforts to bring peace between Israel and its regional neighbours. We stand with all those campaigning for liberal democratic values, human rights and labour and trade union rights across the Middle East.
We promote a vision of peace founded on coexistence, cooperation, and mutual respect and recognition between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. We support political, economic and civic society initiatives to further the cause of peace and a two-state solution. We advocate for peacebuilders in both Israel and Palestine in their work to achieve these vital goals. We support the dismantling of settler outposts.
We call for the renunciation of terrorism, violence and incitement. We oppose all attempts to demonise and delegitimise the world’s only Jewish state, and the antisemitism which drives it. As such we reject and campaign against efforts to boycott Israel. We urge international recognition of the multiple and existential threats Israel faces and seek greater international solidarity with Israelis.
We work to further enhance the economic, political, environmental, cultural, intellectual and security relations between our two countries, recognising the direct benefits they bring to the safety, wellbeing and prosperity of Australia and Israel. Israel is at the forefront of the high-tech sector and with a similar climate to Australia shares some of our most important policy challenges such as climate, water management, medical technology, cyber security, and counter terrorism to name a few. These are all policy areas where greater exchange will benefit Australia.
To further our aims and values, Labor Friends of Israel works constructively and collaboratively using the democratic processes of the ALP (Australian Labor Party), including conferences, advocacy, parliamentary scrutiny and debates, and grassroots events and campaigning activities, to:
Promote peace wherever possible by supporting and promoting the Australian Labor party’s consistent and long-standing policy for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and strengthen support for the Jewish state and a two-state solution across the Labor Party;
Encourage respect for the Australian Jewish community through constructive and informed discussion about Israel and the Middle East within the labour movement;
Foster the fraternal relationship between the Australian Labor Party and the Israeli Labor Party, build closer links between Labor parliamentarians, the Israeli Labor party, and other progressive Israeli and Palestinian politicians, trade unions, civic society groups and individuals.
Promote continuing friendship with Israel and further exchange with Australia in areas such as science, technology, environment, commerce, academia and culture.
Build friendship and understanding with the Jewish community and the Australian Labor Party.
Conduct campaigns to help create a lasting peace in the Middle East with Israel safe, secure and recognised within its borders; living alongside a democratic, independent Palestinian state
Support Labor candidates and campaigns, consistent with our values, to win elections and form and retain Labor governments.
