NSW public servant under investigation for flood of pro-Hamas comments

A NSW government staffer faces the sack after he posted social media images of assassinated leader of terrorist Hamas group Ismail Haniyeh calling him a martyr.

Senior NSW government employee Ahmed Alabadla.

A NSW government employee is under investigation amid concerns his online comments amount to a breach of the public service code of conduct.

Public servant Ahmed Alabadla, a project officer with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water since 2021, has been posting to his social media images of assassinated leader of terrorist Hamas group Ismail Haniyeh calling him a martyr.

This week the Sydney staffer hosted a private Zoom webinar entitled Understanding Hamas talking about the militant group’s political, diplomatic and grassroots aims without spelling out the terror elements of the Islamic Resistance Movement insisting the October 7 atrocities have been “marred with propaganda, false narratives and diversions from the wider context of the Palestinian struggle for liberation.”

He told listeners: “The problem is when such an anti-colonial resistance movement like Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation, unjustly, to my understanding, much of the accusations and twisted narratives around Hamas and around the Palestinian struggle becomes palatable and reasonable to a certain extent, for public consumption in the western society.

Senior NSW government employee Ahmed Alabadla is under investigation amid concerns he has breached the public service code of conduct.

“So to that end, it’s imperative to have an objective or objective discussions about the Palestinian organisation or other organisations like Hamas, its history, strategies and goals and its connection to the wider fold of the Palestinian resistance against colonisation.”

Regarding the October 7 Hamas atrocity he said hundreds of Palestinian resistance fighters were involved and described the attacks that saw more than 1,200 men, women and children, including 46 Americans and citizens of more than 30 countries slaughtered as “mistakes” made saying the militant group has been wrongly represented in media “propaganda” and its original aim was to attack military centres.

Public servant Ahmed Alabadla has been discussing the aims of militant terror group Hamas and has branded political leader Ismail Haniyeh a martyr. Picture: Supplied

“In their kind of document that they released that is part of this book, they actually mentioned all the details that, you know, mistakes were made. Their main intention was to attack the military centres,” he said.

Branding the fallout of October 7 “genocide” he said: “I don’t think Hamas has anticipated this reaction of the occupation, this huge genocidal campaign, and the let-down of the regional area as well to their struggle.”

NSW government employee Ahmed Alabadla is under investigation amid concerns he has breached the public service code of conduct. Picture: Supplied

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry condemned Alabadla’s actions as not in line with political activism.

“People are free to engage in political activism outside the course of their employment but what he is doing is morally repugnant and possibly breaches our criminal laws,” said Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin.

“Employers have a duty to protect the welfare of their staff and the relevant department should consider how this man’s colleagues and professional contacts would feel working alongside someone who publicly declares that ‘we will all be following the road’ taken by a Hamas leader.”

Alabadla who has a PHD in electronic materials engineering from The Australian National University, organised a talk in Marrickville in August entitled Resistance is Justified when Palestine is Occupied featuring Palestinian lecturer in international law Shahd Hammouri.

On the day the political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated with his personal bodyguard in the Iranian capital Tehran, on July 31, Mr Alabadla posted a photo of the leader with his hand outstretched with the caption: “We’ll all be following this road of sacrifice and martyrdom.”

NSW government project officer Ahmed Alabadla organised a talk in Marrickville in August entitled Resistance is Justified when Palestine is Occupied.

He also previously ran a webinar on an energy embargo of Israel, and boycotting companies dealing with Israel from an energy perspective.

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said it would not comment on individual staff matters but said it was investigating if Mr Alabadla had breached its Code of Ethics and Conduct.

It has not made any findings.

“Like all NSW public servants, DCCEEW employees must comply with a Code of Ethics and Conduct,” a spokesman said.

“The Code sets clear standards when making public comment. This includes not acting in a way that casts doubt on a person’s ability to discharge their duties with impartiality and professionalism.

“The Department investigates matters brought to its attention which may involve breaches of the Code. All allegations are treated with the utmost seriousness.”

Mr Alabadla has been contacted for comment.