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		<title>Herzog backlash crushes Albo’s ‘social cohesion’ – thousands protest nationwide</title>
		<link>https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/09/herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion-thousands-protest-nationwide/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Asia Pacific Report]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:15:12 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/09/herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion-thousands-protest-nationwide/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Amid revelations of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the Australian government and media have entirely lost control of the Israel narrative. As thousands massed around the country tonight to protest against the visit of President Herzog, the government’s claims of fostering “social cohesion” are a shambles. The mainstream media, too. Any remaining ]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Amid revelations of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s association with Jeffrey Epstein, the Australian government and media have entirely lost control of the Israel narrative.</p>
<p>As thousands massed around the country tonight to protest against the visit of President Herzog, the government’s claims of fostering “social cohesion” are a shambles.</p>
<p>The mainstream media, too. Any remaining shred of credibility shattered.</p>
<p>Amid the soft-shoe interviews published over the weekend, did any of them bother to ask Herzog whether he was the Herzog in the email from Jeffrey Epstein?</p>
<p>The Herzog “coming to the island this weekend” with former Israel PM and Epstein confidante Ehud Barak?</p>
<p><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/island-visits-herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion/attachment/herzog-island/" rel="attachment wp-att-439839" rel="nofollow"> </a>It appears not. What of the “ceasefire” in Gaza, where dozens are still being slaughtered daily, or the destruction of UN infrastructure, West Bank land theft, allegations of organ harvesting of Palestinians, and prison torture? Any questions?</p>
<p>There is no record of it from the “journals of record”.</p>
<p>Instead, blatantly peddling the tired rhetoric of the government and Israel lobby, critics of Herzog are branded by Herzog in the Murdoch press as</p>
<blockquote readability="5">
<p>waging a brainwash campaign against Jews.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/island-visits-herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion/attachment/oz-herog-visit/" rel="attachment wp-att-439840" rel="nofollow"> </a>While in the Nine papers, <em>The Age</em> and <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> debunked critics as “futile fury” and had the Israel president calling for a new dawn which would “reignite the passion and love between our nations”.</p>
<p>The plain fact of the matter is that Australians, like most people in the world, don’t like genocide.</p>
<p><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/island-visits-herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion/attachment/smh-herzog-visit/" rel="attachment wp-att-439841" rel="nofollow"> </a></p>
<p>They don’t like apartheid either, or lies.</p>
<p>By the time Isaac Herzog turned up at the International Convention Centre (ICC) this evening for “an evening of light and solidarity”, hundreds of thousands of Australians were protesting across the country.</p>
<p>How long can politicians and lobbyists continue to peddle the line that the protesters are tearing up the social cohesion, not themselves?</p>
<p><strong>Herzog sponsors – IDF links<br /></strong> Sponsoring tonight’s dinner at the ICC are Australian charities involved in funding the IDF, which is in turn accused of myriad war crimes and genocide.</p>
<p><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/island-visits-herzog-backlash-crushes-albos-social-cohesion/attachment/herxog-dinner-invite/" rel="attachment wp-att-439842" rel="nofollow"> </a></p>
<p>Founded in 1927, the ZFA describes itself as the peak body representing Zionist organisations in Australia, with more than 200 affiliated groups. It is the Australian branch of the World Zionist Organisation (WZO)</p>
<p>In its 2024 financial report, the federation said it was dependent on funding from the WZO and Keren Hayesod for “the majority of its revenue used to operate the business”. The ZFA also maintains an office in Israel.</p>
<p>The WZO has long played a role in Israeli settlement policy.</p>
<p>Israeli advocacy group <a href="https://peacenow.org.il/en/settlement-division-continues-to-finance-illegal-projects" rel="nofollow">Peace Now</a> says the WZO’s Settlement Division, funded by the Israeli government, has since the 1970s helped plan, finance and manage illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank, including administering land transferred to settlers.</p>
<p><strong>Ties to UIA and JNF<br /></strong> The ZFA’s constitution commits it to supporting the fundraising of two bodies it calls the “National Funds”: Keren Hayesod — United Israel Appeal (UIA) and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael — Jewish National Fund (JNF).</p>
<p>It states that one of the Federation’s objects is “to support the fundraising activities of the National Funds”, and that state Zionist councils must take steps to ensure the “maximum success” of United Israel campaigns.</p>
<p>An investigation by <em>Michel West Media</em> found that UIA and JNF have been funnelling hundreds of millions of dollars in tax-deductible donations to Israel, where some of these funds are used to fund the IDF and illegal settlements.</p>
<p>The ZFA is also the organisation behind the <a href="https://www.sydneycriminallawyers.com.au/blog/federal-court-greenlights-baseless-zionist-case-against-journalist-mary-kostakidis/" rel="nofollow">racial discrimination case</a> against journalist Mary Kostakidis over social media posts relating to the genocide.</p>
<p>The federation has publicly rejected United Nations and International Court of Justice (ICJ) findings critical of Israel.</p>
<p>It <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ZionistFederationAustralia/posts/the-zionist-federation-of-australia-zfa-unequivocally-rejects-the-september-2025/1226223349540902/" rel="nofollow">described</a> a UN Commission of Inquiry finding that Israel committed genocide in Gaza as “a baseless and biased assault on truth and justice”, and <a href="https://www.zfa.com.au/zfa-statement-on-icj-advisory-opinion-2/" rel="nofollow">rejected</a> the ICJ advisory opinion that Israel has committed a “plausible” genocide in Gaza as “politically driven” and “deeply flawed”.</p>
<p>The ZFA did not respond to requests for comment.</p>
<p><strong>Scope for Herzog arrest<br /></strong> “There is both a legal scope and a moral duty to arrest Isaac Herzog on arrival,” said Chris Sidoti, a Commissioner on the UN Commission of Inquiry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and Israel, in a live broadcast on <em>The West Report</em>.</p>
<p>Despite these concerns, Herzog’s visit has proceeded as planned. When asked about Sidoti’s remarks and the ICJ’s findings on genocide, Foreign Minister Penny Wong <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/transcript/press-conference-canberra-6" rel="nofollow">said</a>, “President Herzog is being invited to Australia to honour the victims of Bondi and to be with and provide support to Australia’s Jewish community.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_123630" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-123630" class="wp-caption alignnone"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-123630" class="wp-caption-text">A massive crowd of protesters at the Sydney Town Hall Square this evening as peaceful demonstrations took place across Australia against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit. Image: X/@GreenLeft</figcaption></figure>
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<div readability="12.452631578947">
<p><em><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/author/michael/" rel="nofollow">Michael West</a> established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker.</em></p>
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<div readability="11.620767494357">
<p><em><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/author/stephanie-tran/" rel="nofollow">Stephanie Tran</a> is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. She has worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where she assisted Crikey’s defence team in the high-profile defamation case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. Her reporting has been recognised nationally, earning her the 2021 Democracy’s Watchdogs Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.</em></p>
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<p>Article by <a href="https://www.asiapacificreport.nz/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AsiaPacificReport.nz</a></p>
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		<title>‘We kill enemies’ – spy firm Palantir secures top Australian security clearance</title>
		<link>https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/21/we-kill-enemies-spy-firm-palantir-secures-top-australian-security-clearance/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Asia Pacific Report]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 04:15:52 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[accountability]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/21/we-kill-enemies-spy-firm-palantir-secures-top-australian-security-clearance/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[US cybersecurity company Palantir has received a high-level Australian government security assessment despite concerns about its surveillance and complicity in the Gaza genocide in occupied Palestine. In November 2025, Palantir Technologies was assessed as meeting the protected level under the Australian Information Security Registered Assessors Programme (IRAP). This protection is a key requirement for companies ]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>US cybersecurity company Palantir has received a high-level Australian government security assessment despite concerns about its surveillance and complicity in the Gaza genocide in occupied Palestine.</p>
<p>In November 2025, Palantir Technologies was assessed as meeting the protected level under the Australian Information Security Registered Assessors Programme (<a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/business-government/protecting-devices-systems/assessment-evaluation-programs/irap" rel="nofollow">IRAP</a>). This protection is a key requirement for companies seeking to handle sensitive government information.</p>
<p>The assessment enables a broader range of Australian government agencies and commercial organisations to use Palantir’s Foundry and artificial intelligence platform, AIP.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251120911748/en/Palantir-Achieves-Information-Security-Registered-Assessors-Program-IRAP-PROTECTED-Level-Unlocking-New-Opportunities-in-Australia" rel="nofollow">statement</a>, Palantir said the assessment was conducted by an independent third party assessor in line with requirements set by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and demonstrated its ability to meet “stringent national security and privacy standards”.</p>
<p>The company described Australia as an “important market”, saying the clearance would open “new opportunities” across the public and private sectors.</p>
<div id="attachment_438410" class="wp-caption">
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/we-kill-enemies-spy-firm-palantir-secures-top-australian-security-clearance/attachment/alex-karp-palantir/" rel="attachment wp-att-438410" rel="nofollow"> </a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp . . . experts warn that the company’s technology enables mass surveillance and data collection with limited accountability. Image: palantir.com/MWM</figcaption></figure>
</div>
<p><strong>Mass surveillance without accountability</strong><br />Palantir has been mired in controversy internationally over how its data analysis and AI tools are deployed by government and military clients, with experts warning that the company’s technology enables mass surveillance and data collection with limited accountability.</p>
<p>An ASD spokesperson stated that IRAP status should</p>
<blockquote readability="6">
<p>not be interpreted as government approval or endorsement of a company’s broader conduct or use of data.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“IRAP assessments are third-party commercial arrangements between IRAP assessors (or companies offering ‘IRAP assessment’ services) and assessed entities,” an ASD spokesperson said.</p>
<p>“ASD does not sign off or approve IRAP assessments.”</p>
<figure id="attachment_122222" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-122222" class="wp-caption alignright"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-122222" class="wp-caption-text">Journalist Stephanie Tran . . . Palantir has quietly built a substantial footprint in Australia. Image: Michael West Media</figcaption></figure>
<p><strong>Lobbying push amid political pressure<br /></strong> Palantir’s expanded access to Australian government work comes amid growing political scrutiny. According to reporting by <em>Capital Brief</em>, in July 2025, the company <a href="https://www.capitalbrief.com/article/peter-thiels-palantir-taps-australian-lobbyist-amid-greens-backlash-ec01e715-e8fd-47bf-9fd8-0034ed84cbfb/" rel="nofollow">hired lobbying firm CMAX Advisory</a>, after the Greens called for an immediate freeze on government contracts with the company.</p>
<blockquote readability="11.558282208589">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en">I want to talk to you about Palantir and its expanding footprint in Australia. TLDR: You should be worried.</p>
<p>This US surveillance tech company has secured multiple Defence contracts worth over $11 million. We need transparency about what data they’re accessing &#038; why. 🧵</p>
<p>— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidShoebridge/status/1942027286225805409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow">July 7, 2025</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>CMAX Advisory was founded by Christian Taubenschlag, a former chief of staff to Labor Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who is a special counsel at the lobby firm. CMAX Advisory represents a number of major defence contractors, including EOS and Raytheon.</p>
<p><strong>Gaza, ICE and Coles<br /></strong> Palantir has faced sustained criticism globally over how its software is used by government clients.</p>
<p>In April 2025, CEO Alex Karp dismissed accusations that Palantir’s technology had been used to <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/interview-expose-them-viral-palantir-protester-warns-all-complicit-in-gaza-horrors/3565328" rel="nofollow">target and kill Palestinians</a> in Gaza, saying those killed were “mostly terrorists”.</p>
<p>The UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, has <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/a-hrc-59-23-from-economy-of-occupation-to-economy-of-genocide-report-special-rapporteur-francesca-albanese-palestine-2025/#_ftn110" rel="nofollow">said</a> there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Palantir had “provided automatic predictive policing technology, core defence infrastructure for rapid and scaled-up construction and deployment of military software, and its Artificial Intelligence Platform, which allows real-time battlefield data integration for automated decision-making”.</p>
<p>In the United States, Palantir has long worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An <a href="https://www.404media.co/elite-the-palantir-app-ice-uses-to-find-neighborhoods-to-raid/" rel="nofollow">investigation</a> by <em>404 Media</em> revealed that the company was developing a tool that generated detailed dossiers on potential deportation targets, mapped their locations and assigned “confidence scores” to their likely whereabouts.</p>
<p>The company has also attracted attention in Australia for its work with private sector clients, including Coles, where they were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-09/coles-just-hired-us-defence-contractor-palantir/103443504" rel="nofollow">hired</a> to cut costs and “optimise” the company’s workforce.</p>
<p><strong>‘We kill enemies’<br /></strong> Karp has been blunt about Palantir’s mission. Speaking to shareholders and investors last week, he <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTUY5LSEifM/" rel="nofollow">described</a> the company’s purpose as helping the West “scare enemies” and, “on occasion, kill them”.</p>
<p>Karp also <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/palantir-ceo-makes-another-controversial-204700995.html" rel="nofollow">joked</a> about “getting a drone and having light fentanyl-laced urine spraying on analysts that tried to screw us”.</p>
<p><strong>Millions in government contracts<br /></strong> Despite the controversy, Palantir has quietly built a substantial footprint in Australia.</p>
<p>According to Austender data, the company has secured more than $50 million in Australian government contracts since 2013, largely across defence and national security-related agencies.</p>
<p>The 2024 financial report of its Australian subsidiary, Palantir Technologies Australia Pty Ltd, show $25.5 million in revenue from customer contracts in 2024, though the company’s local financial reports are not audited.</p>
<p>In 2020, Palantir <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Former_Committees/Tax_and_Revenue/EmployeeShareSchemes/Submissions" rel="nofollow">recommended</a> that the Australian government consider “expanding the exemption from public access to disclosure documents”, arguing that filing financial reports with ASIC “is expensive” and “gives competitors access to confidential information”.</p>
<div data-profile-layout="layout-1" data-author-ref="user-2655" data-box-layout="slim" data-box-position="below" data-multiauthor="false" data-author-id="2655" data-author-type="user" data-author-archived="" readability="11.686567164179">
<p><em><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/author/stephanie-tran/" rel="nofollow">Stephanie Tran</a> is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. She has worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where she assisted Crikey’s defence team in the high-profile defamation case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. Her reporting has been recognised nationally, earning her the 2021 Democracy’s Watchdogs Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.</em> <em>This article was first published by Michael West Media  and is republished with permission.</em></p>
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<p>Article by <a href="https://www.asiapacificreport.nz/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">AsiaPacificReport.nz</a></p>
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		<title>Adelaide Writers Week: Cancelled – no decorum without a quorum</title>
		<link>https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/13/adelaide-writers-week-cancelled-no-decorum-without-a-quorum/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Asia Pacific Report]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 06:19:38 +0000</pubDate>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/13/adelaide-writers-week-cancelled-no-decorum-without-a-quorum/</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[By Kim Wingerei and Michael West in Sydney Adelaide Writers’ Week, a core part of South Australia’s premier cultural event, the Adelaide Festival, has finally been cancelled in its 40th year. There are own goals. And then there is the board of the Adelaide Festival (ably assisted by referee, Premier Peter Malinauskas). After yesterday’s resignation ]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>By Kim Wingerei and Michael West in Sydney<br /></em></p>
<p>Adelaide Writers’ Week, a core part of South Australia’s premier cultural event, the Adelaide Festival, has finally been cancelled in its 40th year.</p>
<p>There are own goals. And then there is the board of the Adelaide Festival (ably assisted by referee, Premier Peter Malinauskas). After yesterday’s resignation of chair Tracey Whiting and three further members, the board no longer had a quorum to make any decisions.</p>
<p>The chaos follows last week’s “uninvitation” of Palestinian-Australian sociologist, lawyer and author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah. Almost 100 authors and presenters (of the 124 in the programme, according to <em><a href="https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2026/01/11/board-members-resign-after-writers-week-backlash" rel="nofollow">InDailySA</a></em>) cancelled their attendance in protest.</p>
<p>It was finally <a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/adelaide-writers-week-well-done-zionists-you-killed-it/" rel="nofollow">cancelled today</a>. The damage is colossal.</p>
<p>Being one of the most popular and respected writers’ events in Australia, the list of withdrawals includes best-selling local writers Trent Dalton, Helen Garner and Hannah Kent, journalists Sarah Ferguson, Peter Greste and Laura Tingle, as well as international speakers former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, Yanis Varoufakis and Zadie Smith.</p>
<p>Literary luminaries such as Greg Sheridan are among the 30-odd who had yet to cancel. At least publicly. Some planned panel discussions were left with just one participant, and some stage interviews with just a questioner, somewhat stymying the discourse.</p>
<p>But it’s not just writers who are staying away; the main Festival is also seeing significant fallout, with day two of “Tryp”, the music programme, already cancelled because lead acts have said they are no longer coming. Then there are those already signed up and paid for — for events now cancelled, or planned to do so.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsors rattled too<br /></strong> Last year, 362,000 people attended the two events, and according to the SA government’s <a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/af25-impact-report-fv-digital.pdf" rel="nofollow">impact report</a>, they spent over $62 million. The economic impact will be felt not just by the organisers and the state government, but by hotels, restaurants, retailers and cellar doors from Clare Valley to the Padthaway.</p>
<p>At least one sponsor, Mischief Brew, pulled out, with others likely to monitor the situation closely. A low-attendance festival hitting headlines for all the wrong reasons is not an attractive marketing proposition.</p>
<p><strong>Premier Malinauskas in all sorts<br /></strong> The otherwise well-liked SA Premier has perhaps helped the Zionist cause with his vocal support for the decision, but is unlikely to have found much sympathy beyond rusted-on readers of <em>The Advertiser.</em> But perhaps that’s what he was looking for?</p>
<p>The SA state election is in March, too.</p>
<figure id="attachment_122354" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-122354" class="wp-caption alignright"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-122354" class="wp-caption-text">Palestinian-Australian sociologist, lawyer, and author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah . . . . keynote speaking engagement being “cancelled” by Adelaide Writers’ Week stirred a national furore. Image: The Jewish Independent</figcaption></figure>
<p>Both he and Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis have been caught lying by stating that the Festival removed <em>New York Times</em> columnist Thomas Friedman from the 2024 programme at the behest of Dr Abdel-Fattah and 10 others who had written to the board and requested his exclusion because of an article he had written demeaning Palestinians and Arabs.</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the hypocrisy of that request, correspondence from the Festival showed they did <strong>not</strong> cave in; Friedman withdrew on his own accord.</p>
<p>In an attempt to diminish his earlier comments, Malinauskas has since stated that he had not “directed’ the board to act, but merely voiced “his opinion” in supporting the axing of Dr Abdel-Fattah.</p>
<p>It does, of course, also highlight the double standards of a board that rejected the request for a Jewish participant to be cancelled, for all the right reasons, yet were happy to comply when the target of the complaint was a Palestinian.</p>
<p><strong>What will the board do?<br /></strong> Michael West Media understands that the board members who resigned were all supportive of Louise Adler’s programming decisions and understood the need to review the decision to cancel Dr Abdel-Fattah.</p>
<p>However, with Writers Week still over seven weeks away, it apparently could not be saved. Most of the authors who resigned said they would come if Abdel-Fattah was reinstated.</p>
<p>But as it stands, the board cannot decide anything. The Adelaide Festival is constituted by an Act of Parliament, and board members are appointed by the State Governor at the recommendation of the City of Adelaide and the State Government.</p>
<p>According to the act, the board has to have a maximum of eight members, at least two must be women and two must be men.</p>
<p>After the above was posted, chair Tracey Whiting resigned and also the director Louise Adler, who said in an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/13/i-cannot-be-party-to-silencing-writers-which-is-why-i-am-resigning-as-director-of-adelaide-writers-week-ntwnfb" rel="nofollow">article in <em>The Guardian</em></a> explaining her resignation that she “cannot be party to silencing writers”.</p>
<blockquote readability="8">
<p>The board now has three members, two women and one man, plus a non-voting government observer. No quorum.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In addition, Dr Abdel-Fattah and several of those who have cancelled have engaged lawyers, and (unconfirmed) reports suggest so has Adler.</p>
<p>On Monday afternoon, Adelaide Festival Corporation’s executive director Julian Hobba issued a brief statement saying the situation was “complex and unprecedented”.</p>
<p>We bet it is. Stay tuned.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/author/kim-wingerei/" rel="nofollow">Kim Wingerei</a> is a businessman turned writer and commentator. He is passionate about free speech, human rights, democracy and the politics of change. Originally from Norway, Kim has lived in Australia for 30 years. Author of ‘Why Democracy is Broken – A Blueprint for Change’.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/author/michael/" rel="nofollow">Michael West</a> established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker. This article is republished with permission.<br /></em></p>
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		<title>NGOs warn of catastrophic impact in Gaza – Penny Wong doesn’t care</title>
		<link>https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/10/ngos-warn-of-catastrophic-impact-in-gaza-penny-wong-doesnt-care/</link>
		
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		<pubDate>Sat, 10 Jan 2026 08:15:08 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[The Australian government remains silent on Israel banning 37 international aid organisations in Gaza, despite warnings from humanitarian groups. Stephanie Tran reports. By Stephanie Tran of Michael West Media Under new registration requirements introduced by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, NGOs have been required to submit lists of their Palestinian employees for ]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>The Australian government remains silent on Israel banning 37 international aid organisations in Gaza, despite warnings from humanitarian groups. <strong>Stephanie Tran</strong> reports.</em></p>
<p><em>By Stephanie Tran of Michael West Media<br /></em></p>
<p>Under new registration requirements introduced by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, NGOs have been <a href="https://www.christiancentury.org/news/israel-s-ban-humanitarian-relief-groups-will-severely-impact-aid-gaza-letter-warns" rel="nofollow">required</a> to submit lists of their Palestinian employees for review and to refrain from criticism of Israel.</p>
<p>A number of NGOs did not comply with the requirement to disclose the identities of their Palestinian staff, citing safety concerns amid <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/05/14/gaza-israelis-attacking-known-aid-worker-locations" rel="nofollow">reports</a> that Israel has deliberately targeted and killed aid workers in Gaza.</p>
<p>As a result, the registrations of 37 international NGOs lapsed on 31 December 2025. The organisations will be required to withdraw by 1 March 2026 if their registrations are not renewed.</p>
<figure id="attachment_122222" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-122222" class="wp-caption alignright"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-122222" class="wp-caption-text">Journalist Stephanie Tran . . . “More than 500 humanitarian workers have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.” Image: Michael West Media</figcaption></figure>
<p>The aid ban comes as Israel has <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-passes-bill-blocking-provision-of-electricity-and-water-to-unrwa-facilities/" rel="nofollow">passed laws</a> prohibiting the supply of water and electricity to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.</p>
<p>Michael West Media wrote to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) seeking clarification on Australia’s position regarding Israel’s suspension of humanitarian organisations operating in Gaza.</p>
<p>The questions included whether Australia intended to publicly condemn Israel’s decision to ban aid organisations; how the government assessed the move’s compatibility with international humanitarian law, including Israel’s obligations under the Geneva Conventions; and whether Australia would join or support diplomatic statements or measures alongside other countries calling for the ban to be lifted.</p>
<p>DFAT declined to provide a comment on the record, while Minister Wong did not respond to the request for comment.</p>
<p>In correspondence with MWM, DFAT instead provided a statement “for use in reporting, not for attribution”. In their response, the Department referred to a <a href="https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/joint-statement-humanitarian-situation-gaza" rel="nofollow">previous joint statement</a> signed by Minister Wong calling on Israel to allow aid into Gaza.</p>
<p><strong>International condemnation rises<br /></strong> The refusal to comment comes as the UN Secretary-General, multiple governments and at least 53 international NGOs have publicly condemned Israel’s suspension of 37 aid organisations from operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, warning it will severely restrict humanitarian access to Gaza and breach Israel’s obligations under international law.</p>
<p>The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/the-gaza-humanitarian-response-joint-statement-of-the-foreign-ministers-of-canada-denmark-finland-france-iceland-japan-norway-sweden-switzerland-and-the-united-kingdom-non-un-document/" rel="nofollow">issued a joint statement</a> condemning  the aid ban, warning that</p>
<blockquote readability="5">
<p>One in three healthcare facilities in Gaza will close if INGOs operations are stopped.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>UN Secretary-General António Guterres has <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/secretary-general-2jan26/" rel="nofollow">called</a> on Israel to reverse the measures, warning it “will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians”.</p>
<p>On Monday, seven European countries <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20260105-european-nations-condemn-israeli-legislation-blocking-water-electricity-to-unrwa-facilities/" rel="nofollow">denounced</a> Israel’s policies as incompatible with humanitarian principles and obligations under international law.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.un.org/unispal/document/53-international-ngos-warn-israels-recent-registration-measures-will-impede-critical-humanitarian-action-non-un-document/" rel="nofollow">joint letter</a>, 53 international aid organisations called the ban “a deliberate policy choice with foreseeable consequences”.</p>
<p>“More than 500 humanitarian workers have been killed since 7 October 2023. INGOs cannot transfer sensitive personal data to a party to the conflict since this would breach humanitarian principles, duty of care and data protection obligations,” the letter stated.</p>
<p><strong>NGOs in limbo<br /></strong> Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), one of the largest medical providers operating in Gaza, said it remained in a state of uncertainty.</p>
<p>“Our registration expired as of the 31st of December,” said Ashley Killeen, director of engagement at Médecins Sans Frontières Australia and New Zealand. “We are still trying to have dialogue with Israeli authorities to try and maintain some type of access.”</p>
<p>“At this point in time, we are still continuing to try and negotiate and stay in Gaza. It’s a fragile moment.”</p>
<p>Killeen said claims that MSF had failed to comply with the new registration process were inaccurate.</p>
<p>“We’ve fully engaged in the process announced in July, we submitted the majority of the required information,” she said.</p>
<p>However, Killeen said MSF was unwilling to comply with the requirement to provide the identities of its Palestinian staff due to safety concerns. She stated that</p>
<blockquote readability="5">
<p>Providing the names of our staff is an ethical red line that we’re not willing to cross.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>“Fifteen of our colleagues have been killed since the start of this war by Israeli forces. We have an obligation to safeguard the rights of our staff, and that is why we’re not willing to provide the staff list of our Palestinian colleagues in Gaza.”</p>
<p><strong>Delivering 1 in 3 babies</strong><br />MSF has operated in Gaza since 1989 and supports six hospitals and two field hospitals.</p>
<p>“We deliver one in three babies in Gaza. I don’t know what their solution would be if MSF were not allowed to operate,” Killeen said.</p>
<p>“The entire health system is decimated. Banning the little aid and services that’s available for those people in there is horrific.”</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="13.267605633803">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en">“We’re not finished yet; there’s a lot more to do.”</p>
<p>In the ER of Al-Rantisi hospital in Gaza City, our teams help 300 children receive medical care each day.</p>
<p>🎥 Dr Jennifer Hulse explains our vital services and what it would mean for Palestinians if Israel stops us from… <a href="https://t.co/GENl2PnIyR" rel="nofollow">pic.twitter.com/GENl2PnIyR</a></p>
<p>— MSF International (@MSF) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSF/status/2009717452775555461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" rel="nofollow">January 9, 2026</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>ActionAid Australia has also warned that deregistration would severely undermine its ability to operate.</p>
<p>“Being de-registered will severely restrict our ability to bring food, medical supplies and other relief into Gaza, scale operations, and respond at the huge level of humanitarian need,” said Michelle Higelin, ActionAid Australia’s executive director.</p>
<p>“This action by the government of Israel undermines not just ActionAid,</p>
<blockquote readability="5">
<p>but the entire humanitarian response architecture.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>ActionAid has delivered humanitarian assistance and medical support to more than 650,000 displaced people over the past two years.</p>
<p><strong>Impact ‘not abstract’</strong><br />“The impact is not abstract — it is borne by families already surviving day to day,” Higelin said. “For people in Gaza, this decision will mean less water and food, little or no sanitation, reduced shelter and medical support and increasing exposure to health risks.”</p>
<p>Higelin warned that pregnant women would be particularly affected by the aid ban.</p>
<p>“As we support one of the only functioning maternity hospitals in Gaza, we are particularly concerned about the impacts on pregnant women who are already giving birth in unsterile conditions”</p>
<p>ActionAid reiterated MSF’s concerns regarding the disclosure of the identities of their Palestinian staff.</p>
<p>“We cannot comply with requirements that compel us to hand over sensitive personal data of Palestinian staff and their families or accept political and ideological conditions unrelated to humanitarian work,” Higelin said.</p>
<p>“No humanitarian organisation should be forced to choose between protecting its staff and continuing lifesaving assistance.”</p>
<p><strong>Violation of international humanitarian law<br /></strong> Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers are <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-blockage-of-aid-into-gaza-is-a-crime-against-humanity-and-violation-of-international-law/" rel="nofollow">obliged</a> to ensure the provision of life saving aid to civilians in conflict zones. The 4th Geneva Convention and customary international law require that humanitarian assistance be allowed to reach civilians without undue obstruction.</p>
<p>The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute has <a href="https://www.ibanet.org/IBAHRI-urges-immediate-international-action-as-Palestinians-face-starvation-under-Israeli-blockade-of-Gaza" rel="nofollow">warned</a> that deliberate obstruction of humanitarian assistance, resulting in hunger and widespread suffering, constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes.</p>
<p>Amnesty International Australia has <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-blockage-of-aid-into-gaza-is-a-crime-against-humanity-and-violation-of-international-law/" rel="nofollow">characterised</a> Israel’s broader blockade and systematic obstruction of aid as not only a violation of humanitarian law but as potentially amounting to crimes against humanity, citing provisions of the Geneva Conventions that require occupying powers to ensure the food and medical supplies of the population are met unconditionally.<a href="https://www.amnesty.org.au/israels-blockage-of-aid-into-gaza-is-a-crime-against-humanity-and-violation-of-international-law/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="nofollow"> </a></p>
<p>“It’s an obligation under international law to provide humanitarian aid. Israel has an obligation to allow aid into Gaza,” said Killeen.</p>
<p>Killeen said MSF was urging the Australian government to do more than reiterate general support for aid access.</p>
<p><strong>International law?<br /></strong> “What we would hope for from our government is that they continue to uphold the principles of international humanitarian law, and in doing so, they would advocate for the rights of organisations like MSF to continue providing aid to people in Gaza,” she said.</p>
<p>Higelin said the moment demanded decisive action from the Australian government.</p>
<p>“This is a watershed moment: one that will make or break the future of civic space and humanitarian assistance in Palestine, which Israel has been occupying unlawfully for decades.</p>
<p>“We urge UN agencies and donor governments, including Australia, to use all available leverage to secure the reversal of this decision. Independent, principled humanitarian operations must be protected to ensure civilians can receive the assistance they urgently need.</p>
<blockquote readability="5">
<p>“Lives depend upon it.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em><a href="https://michaelwest.com.au/author/stephanie-tran/" rel="nofollow">Stephanie Tran</a> is a journalist with a passion for uncovering stories that hold power to account. With a background in both law and journalism, she has worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where she assisted Crikey’s defence team in the high-profile defamation case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. Her reporting has been recognised nationally, earning her the 2021 Democracy’s Watchdogs Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.</em></p>
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		<title>Rising Tide climate crisis ‘Protestival’ to go ahead despite court ruling</title>
		<link>https://eveningreport.nz/2024/11/11/rising-tide-climate-crisis-protestival-to-go-ahead-despite-court-ruling/</link>
		
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		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Nov 2024 23:19:18 +0000</pubDate>
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					<description><![CDATA[The NSW Supreme Court has issued orders prohibiting a major climate protest that would blockade ships entering the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle for 30 hours. Despite the court ruling, Wendy Bacon reports that the protest will still go ahead next week. SPECIAL REPORT: By Wendy Bacon In a decision delivered last Thursday, Justice ]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>The NSW Supreme Court has issued orders prohibiting a major climate protest that would blockade ships entering the world’s largest coal port in Newcastle for 30 hours. Despite the court ruling, <strong>Wendy Bacon</strong> reports that the protest will still go ahead next week.</em></p>
<p><strong>SPECIAL REPORT:</strong> <em>By Wendy Bacon</em></p>
<p>In a decision delivered last Thursday, Justice Desmond Fagan in the NSW Supreme Court ruled in favour of state police who applied to have the <a href="https://www.risingtide.org.au/" rel="nofollow">Rising Tide</a> ‘Protestival’ planned from November 22 to 24 declared an “unauthorised assembly”.</p>
<p>Rising Tide has vowed to continue its protest. The grassroots movement is calling for an end to new coal and gas approvals and imposing a 78 percent tax on coal and gas export profits to fund and support Australian workers during the energy transition.</p>
<p>The group had submitted what is known as a “Form 1” to the police for approval for a 30-hour blockade of the port and a four-day camp on the foreshore.</p>
<p>If approved, the protest could go ahead without police being able to use powers of arrest for offences such as “failure to move on” during the protest.</p>
<p>Rising Tide organisers expect thousands to attend of whom hundreds would enter the water in kayaks and other vessels to block the harbour.</p>
<p>Last year, a similar 24-hour blockade protest was conducted safely and in cooperation with police, after which 109 people refused to leave the water in an act of peaceful civil disobedience. They were then arrested without incident. Most were later given good behaviour bonds with no conviction recorded.</p>
<p>Following the judgment, Rising Tide organiser Zack Schofield said that although the group was disappointed, “the protestival will go ahead within our rights to peaceful assembly on land and water, which is legal in NSW with or without a Form 1.”</p>
<p><strong>Main issue ‘climate pollution’</strong><br />“The main public safety issue here is the climate pollution caused by the continued expansion of the coal and gas industries. That’s why we are protesting in our own backyard — the Newcastle coal port, scene of Australia’s single biggest contribution to climate change.”</p>
<blockquote readability="6">
<p>In his judgment, Justice Desmond Fagan affirmed that protesting without a permit is lawful.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In refusing the application, he described the planned action as “excessive”.</p>
<p>“A 30-hour interruption to the operations of a busy port is an imposition on the lawful activities of others that goes far beyond what the people affected should be expected to tolerate in order to facilitate public expression of protest and opinion on the important issues with which the organisers are concerned,” he said.</p>
<p>During the case, Rising Tide’s barrister Neal Funnell argued that in weighing the impacts, the court should take into account “a vast body of evidence as to the cost of the economic impact of global warming and particularly the role the fossil fuel industry plays in that.“</p>
<p>But while agreeing that coal is “extremely detrimental to the atmosphere and biosphere and our future, Justice Fagan indicated that his decision would only take into account the immediate impacts of the protest, not “the economic effect of the activity of burning coal in power plants in whatever countries this coal is freighted to from the port of Newcastle”.</p>
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Protest organisers outside NSW Court last week. Image: Michael West Media</figcaption></figure>
<p>NSW Police argued that the risks to safety outweighed the right to protest.</p>
<p>Rising Tide barrister Neal Funnell told the court that the group did not deny that there were inherent risks in protests on water but pointed to evidence that showed police logs revealed no safety concerns or incidents during the 2023 protest.</p>
<p>Although he accepted the police argument about safety risks, Justice Fagan acknowledged that the “organisers of Rising Tide have taken a responsible approach to on-water safety by preparing very thorough plans and protocols, by engaging members of supportive organisations to attend with outboard motor driven rescue craft and by enlisting the assistance of trained lifeguards”.</p>
<blockquote readability="5">
<p>The Court’s reasons are not to be understood as a direction to terminate the protest.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>NSW government opposition</strong><br />Overshadowing the case were statements by NSW Premier Chris Minns, who recently threatened to make costs of policing a reason why permits to protest could be refused.</p>
<p>Last week, Minns said the protest was opposed because it was dangerous and would impact the economy, suggesting further government action could follow to protect coal infrastructure.</p>
<p>“I think the government’s going to have to make some decisions in the next few weeks about protecting that coal line and ensuring the economy doesn’t close down as a result of this protest activity,” he said.</p>
<p>Greens MP and spokesperson for climate change and justice Sue Higginson, who attended last year’s Rising Tide protest, said, “ It’s the second time in the past few weeks that police have sought to use the court to prohibit a public protest event with the full support of the Premier of this State . . . ”</p>
<p>Higginson hit back at Premier Chris Minns: “Under the laws of NSW, it’s not the job of the Premier or the Police to say where, when and how people can protest. It is the job of the Police and the Premier to serve the people and work with organisers to facilitate a safe and effective event.</p>
<p>“Today, the Premier and the Police have thrown this obligation back in our faces. What we have seen are the tactics of authoritarian politics attempting to silence the people.</p>
<p>“It is telling that the NSW Government would rather seek to silence the community and protect their profits from exporting the climate crisis straight through the Port of Newcastle rather than support our grassroots communities, embrace the right to protest, take firm action to end coal exports and transition our economy.”</p>
<p><strong>Limits of police authorised protests<br /></strong> Hundreds of protests take place in NSW each year using Form 1s. Many other assemblies happen without a Form 1 application. But the process places the power over protests in the hands of police and the courts.</p>
<p>In a situation in which NSW has no charter of human rights that protects the right to protest, Justice Fagan’s decision exposes the limits of the Form 1 approach to protests.</p>
<p>NSW Council for Civil Liberties is one of more than 20 organisations that supported the Rising Tide case.</p>
<p>In response to the prohibition order, its Vice-President Lidia Shelly said, “Rising Tide submitted a Form 1 application so that NSW Police could work with the organisers to ensure the safety of the public.</p>
<p>“The organisers did everything right in accordance with the law. It’s responsible and peaceful protesting. Instead, the police dragged the organisers to Court and furthered the public’s perception that they’re acting under political pressure to protect the interests of the fossil fuel industry.”</p>
<p>Shelly said, “In denying the Form 1, NSW Police have created a perfect environment for mass arrests of peaceful protestors to occur . . .</p>
<p>“The right to peaceful assembly is a core human right protected under international law. NSW desperately needs a state-based charter of human rights that protects the right to protest.</p>
<p>“The current Form 1 regime in New South Wales is designed to repress the public from exercising their democratic rights to protest. We reiterate our call to the NSW Government to repeal the draconian anti-protest laws, abolish the Form 1 regime, protect independent legal observers, and introduce a Human Rights Act that enshrines the right to protest.”</p>
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<p><em><a href="https://www.wendybacon.com/" rel="nofollow">Wendy Bacon</a> is an investigative journalist who was professor of journalism at University of Technology Sydney (UTS). She worked for Fairfax, Channel Nine and SBS and has published in The Guardian, New Matilda, City Hub and Overland. She has a long history in promoting independent and alternative journalism. She is a long-term supporter of a peaceful BDS movement and the Greens. Republished with the permission of the author.<br /></em></p>
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<p>Article by <a href="https://www.asiapacificreport.nz/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">AsiaPacificReport.nz</a></p>
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