Federal Adelaide MP Steve Georganas defends attendance on Palestine study tour

The tour, that included a Federal Labor minister, was partially funded by a group that has accused Israel of genocide.

Federal Adelaide MP Steve Georganas has defended his attendance on a study tour to Palestine, which was partially funded by a lobby group that has accused Israel of genocide and opposed the full designation of Hamas as a terrorist organisation.

Mr Georganas and colleagues including Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke went on the trip, partially paid for by the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), in 2017.

Mr Georganas said travel to the Middle East was “pretty commonplace for parliamentarians”, and added that he also went on a trip to Israel in 2017 – which had been sponsored by the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC).

“I went to Israel ... and then that same year, later in the year, when this offer came up I wanted to go and see for myself what was going on in Palestine,” he said.

“I think it’s important for MPs to see these troubled spots.

“What I saw was people suffering on both sides.”

Steve Georganas, third from left, on a study tour to Palestine in 2017. On the left are fellow Labor MPs Josh Wilson, Tony Burke, Julian Hill and Susan Templeman.

A picture from the trip shows Mr Georganas with a group including fellow Labor MPs Mr Burke, Josh Wilson, Julian Hill and Susan Templeman.

Asked about the views of APAN, which said in 2022 it “strongly disagrees” with the federal government’s decision to list the entirety of Hamas as a terror group, Mr Georganas said “we condemn the actions of Hamas, they are a terrorist organisation”.
The Labor politicians who attended the trip, then in opposition, paid for their flights while APAN paid for accommodation, ground transport and some meals.

They all declared the trip on their parliamentary register of interests.

In APAN’s latest annual report, the lobby group said it had received $22,400 from “ALP” and $50,000 from “Union” to pay for study tours to Palestine.

On Wednesday, shadow home affairs minister James Paterson called on Labor to be transparent about its financial relationship with APAN, which he said was becoming “an increasingly extreme organisation”.

“Nasser Mashni, APAN’s president, has called for an end to the peace process and abandonment of a two-state solution, as well as opposing the listing of Hamas as a terrorist organisation,” he said.

APAN did not respond to questions over the mysterious payment from “ALP” but Labor denied giving the lobby group any money.

“ALP National Secretariat has not made any financial contribution to the Australian Palestine Advocacy Network,” a federal Labor spokesman said.