Pro-Palestinian funds channelled to GetUp!

GetUp! has accepted more than $200,000 from organisations seeking the withdrawal of Israel from occupied territories.

Activist group GetUp! has accepted more than $200,000 in donations from organisations that seek the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories, but says the money comes with no strings attached.

The funds principally have come from the Norman Rothfield Peace and Justice Fund, which donated $15,120 to GetUp! this year, $152,435 last year and $53,975 in 2014-15.

The fund was established by the family of Australian activist Norman Rothfield, whose son Robin is also a member of Labor for Refugees, and told The Australian yesterday that he was “proud to support GetUp!”.

“My father left a substantial sum in his will and we make regular donations to GetUp!,” he said. “Our main concern is the asylum-seekers, and refugees. We gave the money to help GetUp! launch a campaign at the last election, especially in (Immigration Minister) Peter Dutton’s seat.

“It was successful. They got a swing that was well above the state average. We didn’t quite get rid of him but we tried.”

Mr Rothfield said his family gave money “for specific causes, mainly refugees”.

“If they (GetUp!) are able to extend our grant to the Palestinian cause that would be fine, because we are strongly opposed to the Israeli occupation,” he said.

Besides the Rothfield family money, GetUp! has also taken three separate grants from property developer Karen Loblay, who gave $43,960 this year, $50,100 last year and $11,160 in 2014-15.

Ms Loblay is on the board of the New Israel Fund (Australia) but said her donations to GetUp! were “for local causes”. “I’m passionate about the work they do here in Australia and my donations to them are quite separate from the social justice work we do in Israel,’’ she said.

GetUp!’s national director, Paul Oosting, said the Palestinian issue was “not currently on our radar”.

“Thus far, we have decided to focus on ending indefinite detention and human-rights abuse perpetrated by our government in offshore detention camps,” he said.

GetUp! recently appointed pro-Palestinian activist Sara Saleh to its board. Ms Saleh was engaged with the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network’s campaign during this year’s federal election.

Mr Oosting said Ms Saleh had worked for more than a decade in human rights with Amnesty International and had “a high degree of experience and integrity, qualities which enhance her role as a member of our board”.

GetUp! presents itself as non-partisan, but Coalition politicians routinely describe the group as a front for Labor and the Greens. The group receives financial support from unions, but says most of its donations come from “ordinary Australians”.