Each June, Australians gather to celebrate Refugee Week and honour those who have found safety. It must not overlook those who remain trapped in suffering. (more…)
Category: Israel Palestine
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Israel’s defenders should confront what is being done to Palestinians
Australia’s sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers have drawn accusations of antisemitism, but criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians must not be confused with hatred of Jewish people. (more…)
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The Israeli army’s skewed scales of justice
Brigadier General Yisrael Shomer, head of the IDF Operations Division, has finally faced the consequences of his actions. (more…)
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Israel accounted for most civilian deaths from explosive weapons in 2025
A new Explosive Weapons Monitor report finds civilians are continuing to bear the brunt of explosive weapons in populated areas, with Israel’s armed forces responsible for the majority of recorded civilian fatalities in 2025. (more…)
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An open letter to the Minister for Home Affairs – Australia’s obligations to Palestinians must reach the visa system
In an open letter to the Minister for Home Affairs, Meg Schwarz argues that Australia’s obligations to Palestinians must be reflected not only in foreign policy statements, but in the practical systems that shape access to visas, scholarships and education. (more…)
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Challenging governments’ indifference to international law
A public forum organised by Australians for Humanity brought together legal, political and human rights experts to examine why international law must be upheld consistently – from Gaza to Australia.
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Trump urges Israel not to retaliate after Iran missile strikes
Iran has launched missile strikes towards Israel, calling the attack a warning over Israel’s continued assault on southern Lebanon and threatening broader regional action if attacks continue. (more…)
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AFP urged to investigate Australians allegedly involved in Gaza genocide
Human rights organisations have referred evidence to the AFP, urging an investigation into whether Australian-Israeli dual nationals may have been involved in genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity in Gaza. (more…)
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The students we aren’t seeing
Displaced Palestinians are seeking ways to continue their education. These aspirations need to be part of the screening process, which has become too focussed on risk. (more…)
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Marwan Barghouti is the Palestinian leader peace now needs
A sustainable Palestinian-Israeli peace process requires leadership with real legitimacy among Palestinians, and Marwan Barghouti remains one of the few figures capable of uniting Palestinian politics behind a negotiated settlement. (more…)
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Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners violates basic humanitarian law
The imprisonment of Palestinian health workers without charge and new death penalty laws targeting Palestinians expose a detention system that disregards humanitarian law, due process and equality before the law.
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The genie is out of the bottle. Where to from here for Iran’s Arab neighbours?
The Iran war has damaged US leverage in the Persian Gulf, strengthened Iran’s regional bargaining position and forced Gulf Arab states to reassess their reliance on Washington.
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Israel’s solution to the Gaza problem is well underway
Israel’s military campaign has been accompanied by a broader objective: the destruction of Gaza’s social, civic and institutional fabric, creating conditions in which mass displacement becomes increasingly possible. (more…)
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Women’s health should not be collateral damage of war and sanctions
Whether through sanctions, blockade or war, policies presented as matters of security and strategy often impose predictable and disproportionate harm on women’s health, particularly reproductive and maternal care. (more…)
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Social cohesion cannot be built by exceptionalising antisemitism
A submission to the Royal Commission argues that privileging antisemitism above other forms of racism, while suppressing criticism of Israel and Zionism, undermines freedom of expression and weakens social cohesion. (more…)
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Not in our name: Jewish Australians speak out
The first tranche of hearings of the Antisemitism Royal Commission did not hear enough from those Jewish Australians who oppose Israel’s actions in the Occupied Territories. (more…)
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Antoun Issa’s novel of loss and rebirth
Deepcut News co-founder and journalist Antoun Issa captures his mother’s true experiences of love, heartbreak and new hope during the violence of civil war in Lebanon, in his new book Rebirth. (more…)
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Don’t forget the plight of Palestinian Christians
The brutal beating of a French Catholic nun in Jerusalem has caused revulsion. It should also remind us of the marginalisation of Christians in the Palestinian homeland. (more…)
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The chilling effect of recent legislation
Freedom of speech and assembly is being curbed by legislation designed to address hate speech. What does this mean for the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement? (more…)
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Ben-Gvir’s flotilla humiliation exposes Australia’s selective human rights language
The detention and public humiliation of Australian citizens aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla raises broader questions about whether Australia applies its human rights principles differently when the state involved is a close ally.
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Putin and Trump can’t win
Believing in their military might, neither Putin nor Trump considered the consequences of their attacks on Ukraine and Iran. Now their wars are failing. (more…)
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Compassion does not end at the front gate – Message from the Editor
Like many I was revolted by the video of Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting and humiliating courageous international citizens determined to get supplies to Palestine. If you haven’t seen it, the video shows the Israeli Minister humiliating Gaza flotilla activists, who are shown kneeling in rows, heads bowed, hands cable-tied behind their backs.
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Taunting and degrading civilians in armed conflict is a clear violation of international law
The public humiliation and mistreatment of Gaza flotilla activists violated core protections under international humanitarian law governing the treatment of civilians and detainees during armed conflict.
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US condemns Israel’s Ben-Gvir while sanctioning Gaza flotilla organisers
A rare public rebuke of Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir by US Ambassador Mike Huckabee has highlighted growing international condemnation over the treatment of Gaza flotilla activists, even as Washington continues sanctioning Palestinian groups and organisers.
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Catch 22? A problematic definition of antisemitism
The greatest single cause of the recent rise of antisemitism in Australia is the behaviour of Israel, which the Australian Government has not condemned. (more…)
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Freedom Flotilla Coalition says Israeli forces attacked aid boats for 35 hours
In a statement from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s US arm, organisers say Israeli forces carried out a prolonged assault on civilian aid boats in international waters, using gunfire, water cannons and violent boardings against unarmed volunteers attempting to reach Gaza.
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UN report details systemic torture and sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees
A United Nations special rapporteur has documented extensive allegations of torture, sexual violence and abuse against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli custody since October 2023.
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What Nakba Day feels like for a Palestinian in Australia
A personal reflection on Nakba Day, intergenerational trauma, exile and the experience of carrying Palestinian identity and grief while living in the Australian diaspora. (more…)
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The Nakba did not end in 1948: how the bet on erasing Palestinian memory failed
The Nakba is not simply an historical event but an ongoing system of displacement, erasure and resistance that continues to shape Palestinian identity and political life generations later. (more…)
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The weaponisation of antisemitism by the Zionist lobby hides the genocide
In a personal submission to the Antisemitism Royal Commission, P&I founder John Menadue argues that it is impossible to separate increasing rates of antisemitism from the way Israel has conducted its genocide in Gaza. (more…)