Labor Israel group calls for caution on UNRWA

Labor Friends of Israel co-convener Michael Kelly has urged the government not to restore funding to the UN’s aid agency in Gaza until measures have been taken to sever its ties with Hamas.

Mike Kelly as Defence Materiel Minister in 2013. Picture: AAP Image/Alan Porritt

Labor Friends of Israel co-convener Michael Kelly has urged the Albanese government not to restore funding to the UN’s aid agency in Gaza until sufficient measures have been taken to sever its ties with Hamas.

Dr Kelly, a one-time federal Labor minister, said the government needed to ensure that the UN ­Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees’ activities were not being “suborned or converted”, following allegations some of its employees participated in the October 7 attack.

The call comes as the vice-chair of the group’s UK counterpart, British MP John Spellar, warned the ALP of the “heavy political price to pay” if it allows itself to be captured by “extremist ­lobbies” including pro-Hamas ­activists.

Britain’s Labour Friends of ­Israel has sought to counterbalance pro-Palestinian support within the party after it was plagued by ­accusations of anti-Semitism ­during former leader Jeremy ­Corbyn’s tenure.

Dr Kelly founded LIF, inspired by the UK group, with former NSW Labor treasurer Eric Roozendaal late last year to counter “misinformation” about Israel’s war in Gaza and combat support for Hamas among “progressives”.

He said it was vital all relief funds went directly to Palestinian civilians and called for alternative routes to deliver aid to be explored, amid mounting pressure on Anthony Albanese to restore funding to UNRWA.

Mike Kelly was a defence industry minister under then prime minister Julia Gillard.

“There should be no resumption of funding until we have certainty about that, and that we’re satisfied with the measures that are being taken,” he said.

“At the same time, in the background, we should be exploring what alternatives there are. Do we put more emphasis on the World Food Program and see what sort of possibilities there are to expand and support them, and UNICEF – those sorts of organisations.”

Dr Kelly, who was a defence industry minister under Julia Gillard, said there needed to be a level of “certainty and accountability” for how UNRWA had combated Hamas influence, including how Australian tax dollars had been directed before funding could be restored. “Obviously, we would call on the government to exercise a lot of due diligence in putting in place accountability measures, and continuing to interrogate UNRWA about its processes for removing these Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives and connections,” he said.

Mr Spellar welcomed the formation of the Australian advocacy network, adding that the “Corbynite influence” within his own party had diminished in recent years.

British MP John Spellar. Picture: Wikipedia

“I’m pleased to say that the Corbyn and Corbynite influence has diminished dramatically in the UK, and the public opinion polls and real by-elections that we’ve been having, have shown that the public have recognised that and are flocking back to Labour,” he said. “I think that all progressive parties around the world have to always be careful, both in terms of doing the right thing, but also doing the electorally sensible thing.

“If they get captured by extremists lobbies, such as the sort of pro-Hamas lobby, then it is not just wrong in international terms, but there’s a heavy political price to pay, and not just through loss of support in the Jewish community, but with right-thinking people not wanting to be associated.”

Mr Spellar said many on the left were driven by a blind opposition to the US, remarking that historically progressives had supported Israel because it was one of few democracies with a free trade union movement in the Middle East.

“Many on the left have adopted a simplistic, anti-colonialist agenda therefore, in their view, the US is always wrong,” he said.