Anti-Israel activists in Australia have asked a federal court to compel the country’s defense ministry to divulge more information on defense deals with Israel, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Tuesday.
The application filed in the Federal Court asked it to “compel” the Australian Government’s Department of Defence to provide documents related to any active permits granted before Oct. 7 2023, ABC reported, quoting from the application by a group called the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ.)
ACIJ, which has accused Israel of perpetrating a “genocide” in Gaza, is headed by Rawan Arraf, whom the Sydney Criminal Lawyers news site has characterized as an “Australian Palestinian lawyer.”
The application also extends to information about “exports that are not directly supplied to Israel,” the ACIJ said in a statement. “The arms exports may include components and materials that form part of global military supply chains. Australia is known to provide sole-source components, including F-35 fighter aircraft components and material used in armoured military vehicles.”
The Defence Department declined to provide ABC with a comment on the filing, explaining it would not comment on an active legal matter.
Senator David Shoebridge, the Greens’ defence and foreign affairs spokesperson, welcomed the ACIJ application, ABC reported, saying it was “a critical legal step to help end Australia’s export of weapons and weapon parts to Israel.”
