July 20, 2026 — 6:28pmIsrael is seeking to water down criticism of the Jewish state in Labor’s policy platform, which is set to call out settler violence in the West Bank, condemn a controversial new death penalty law and back two international courts considering genocide and war crimes charges against Israel.As Palestinian advocates call for Labor to go further by banning defence exports to Israel and imposing sweeping sanctions, the Israeli embassy in Canberra argued Labor’s draft national platform is one-sided against Israel while going easy on Hamas and other Palestinian factions for failing to advance the peace process.Israel’s embassy, led by ambassador Hillel Newman, is pushing Labor to change its policy platform.Alex EllinghausenWith Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeking to project party unity under his leadership, Labor’s three-day national conference in Adelaide is unlikely to feature lively debates on contentious issues such as AUKUS after senior ministers spent months settling arguments behind the scenes to avoid public brawls on the conference floor.But debate could flare up over the Middle East, with the draft policy platform going into more detail on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute than past manifestos and pro-Palestinian activists on the march after Albanese last year decided to recognise Palestinian statehood.The draft platform does not contain accusations of genocide over the way Israel fought the war in Gaza or call for restrictions on arms sales to Israel, but party activists are pushing behind the scenes to make it tougher.“Labor opposes the annexation of Palestinian territory and wants Israel to bring its illegal settlement activity and the occupation to an end, to see security for Palestine, for Israel and for the region,” the draft platform states.“Labor urges the government to prevent any support being given to illegal settlement activity or extremist settler violence, and to implement further action and sanctions as necessary.”It also condemns a law passed by the Israeli parliament in March which expands the use of the death penalty for terror offences in the occupied West Bank and “all other discriminatory laws which target Palestinians”.The Israeli embassy issued a statement on Monday saying it “respectfully submits that several elements of the draft national platform risk placing responsibility for the conflict on one party while giving insufficient attention to the decisions, conduct and continuing obligations of the Palestinian leadership and terrorist organisations such as Hamas”.The embassy noted that the “policy motions are still in draft form, and will continue to engage constructively with the Australian Labor Party through the usual diplomatic channels”.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in New York last year, when he officially recognised Palestine at the United Nations.Dominic LorrimerThe draft platform also states: “Labor believes in international law and will defend it.“Labor supports the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court and compliance with their binding decisions.”The International Court of Justice is considering a genocide case brought against Israel over its conduct in the war in Gaza, while the International Criminal Court is considering war crimes allegations against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.The draft platform also says Labor “unreservedly condemns terrorism and violent extremism, including as perpetrated by Hamas and other extremists”.The Israeli embassy said in its statement: “The reality is that the moment Palestinians recognise the existence of the State of Israel and undergo significant reform, the path to peace will be paved.“That outcome cannot be achieved by pressuring Israel.”The embassy claimed that settler violence, which has surged in the West Bank over recent years, is a “reprehensible but marginal phenomenon” that receives disproportionate international attention.“The government of Israel and the settler movement itself condemns it, and security forces work to apprehend these forms of illegal behaviour,” the statement said.The United Nations said in June that there had been an average of six settler attacks a day this year on Palestinians causing casualties or property damage – the highest on record.The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network is urging Labor to end Australian defence exports and military co-operation with countries that risk contributing to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.The group is also calling for an end to Australian trade and investment with Jewish settlements in the West Bank and for the Future Fund to scrap all investments linked to the settlement enterprise.“Australia must reckon with the obligations that flow from its recognition of Palestine and the Conference must draw a red line on genocide and Australian complicity,” APAN president Nasser Mashni said.He said Australia must comply with a 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion that found Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territories was unlawful and Israeli settlements were illegal.“Recognition of Palestine cannot remain symbolic. Australia must impose wide-ranging and wholesale sanctions on the Israeli regime and anyone or any entity associated with the settlement enterprise,” he said.Albanese’s recognition of Palestinian statehood last September at the United Nations General Assembly fulfilled a pledge embedded in Labor’s policy platform in 2018.Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter. From our partners