‘Misrepresentations’ Israeli embassy slams Labor’s response to Binskin report

The Israeli embassy has condemned the federal government’s response to an investigation into the killing of Australian aid worker Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom.

Australian Lalzawmi (Zomi) Frankcom. Picture: World Central Kitchen/AFP

The Israeli embassy has condemned the federal government’s response to an investigation into the killing of an Australian aid worker, citing “misrepresentations” in how the findings were conducted.

“Serious failures” in Israeli military practices were responsible for the deaths of Australian aid worker Lalzawmi ‘Zomi’ Frankcom and six of her colleagues in April, according to a report commissioned by the Australian government.

The report confirmed Ms. Frankcom, who worked for the non-profit World Central Kitchen, was killed in Gaza in an “intentional strike” carried out by Israel.

It was later revealed that Mark Binskin found in his report that it was likely the armed security guards in the aid convoy “gave the appearance of the presence of Hamas.”

In a statement issued on Monday, the Israeli embassy said Air Chief Binskin “had no investigative authority or mandate.”

“The Australian government’s statement about the report regrettably included some misrepresentations and omitted crucial details with respect to the manner in which the report was conducted, the degree of co-operation and openness exhibited by the IDF, and even with respect to certain aspects of the tragic incident itself,” the statement said.

“The report explicitly reaffirms that the IDF is a professional and disciplined army, with similar legal views, standards, and controls in place to mitigate the risks of war, like the ADF.”

“While Air Chief Marshal Binskin had no investigative authority or mandate, the IDF fully engaged with him and provided him with access to all areas requested, including evidence, high-level officials, and operational processes, in order to contribute to the Australian people’s understanding of how this incident occurred and how it has been investigated.”