Australia 'going slow' on Israel arms export requests - report

The Australian government is dragging its feet processing weapons requests from Israel, according to a report in Australian news outlet The ABC. 

"There appears to be a deliberate 'go slow' happening on anything to do with Israel while the war in Gaza continues," an anonymous defense industry insider is quoted as saying. "Nobody in the government wants to be seen to be either approving or rejecting Israeli military sales."

"I think Defence [Ministry] is wedged on this because the government will be saying they are not approving military exports to Israel but also telling Defence not to process them," another industry representative was quoted as saying, indicating that the government to stall ruling one way or another. 

Israeli diplomats have reportedly raised this issue with Australian officials, ABC reported. The Israeli embassy declined to comment.

Australia imports weapons from Israel and exports some raw materials, parts

Australia is not a major exporter of weapons to Israel, but Australian companies do produce raw materials used by some arms manufacturers in Israel, and, in the other direction, Australia does import military materials from Israel. 

The government of Australia, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, of the country's Labor Party, has come under criticism by the country's left-wing for reported military support for Israel, although the administration says that the country has not "supplied weapons" to Israel for at least five years.

It was unclear whether the "five years" statistic included, for example, Australian-made parts for F-35 planes, insufficient but essential to the bombers' flight. Australia participates in a global supply chain program for F-35 parts, in which Israel is a participant— meaning that while Australia may not be directly exporting the parts to Israel, they may still be contributing to the country's war effort in Gaza.

Questions, criticisms from the country's Green Party

David Shoebridge, a Senator from the country's Green Party, has called on the government to bar those exports, along with steel purchased by Israeli companies for use in military vehicles. "We are supplying armor for the very tanks used to commit genocide," Shoebridge said on social media Wednesday.

Shoebridge and his party have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, the suspension of all military aid to Israel, and for Australia to join South Africa in its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing the country of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. 

The court ordered last week that Israel take care to observe all requirements of the Genocide Convention and report back to the court in a month, but it did not rule that Israel must end its military campaign, as South Africa had requested.