以色列驻澳大利亚大使希勒尔·纽曼为该国大使馆就工党政策立场提出批评一事进行了辩护。纽曼表示"我们没有任何意图进行干预，也没有实际干预"[1]。以色列大使馆在澳大利亚工党全国会议召开前发表声明，对工党2026年草案平台中关于以色列-巴勒斯坦冲突的立场提出批评，其中包括对以色列在约旦河西岸的定居者暴力和"非法定居活动"的谴责[1]。纽曼声称大使馆只是向决策者提供信息[1]。
澳大利亚巴勒斯坦倡导网络主席纳瑟·马什尼对此提出强烈批评，认为这是"一次非凡的干预"和"外国政府对澳大利亚国内政治过程的不可接受的影响试图"[1]。澳大利亚外交部长彭妮·黄重申了澳大利亚对哈马斯的"毫不含糊的谴责"，表示"哈马斯必须解除武装，在巴勒斯坦国不应扮演任何角色"[1]。澳大利亚政府于去年9月承认了巴勒斯坦国家地位[1]。工党会议最终采纳了平台关于以巴冲突的立场，未进行重大改变或辩论[1]。
Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Neumann, has defended his country's embassy statement criticizing Labor's draft platform on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, denying any attempt to interfere in Australian domestic politics. [1] Neumann stated that the embassy "had no intention and no actual intervention," characterizing the embassy's actions as merely providing information to decision-makers rather than engaging in political interference. [1]
The embassy issued its statement before Labor's national conference, taking issue with the draft platform's positions on Israeli-Palestinian issues. [1] The move drew sharp criticism from pro-Palestinian advocates, with Nasser Mashni, chair of the Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network, calling it an "extraordinary intervention" and an "unacceptable attempt by a foreign government to influence Australia's domestic political processes." [1] Labor's 2026 draft platform condemns settler violence by Israelis in the West Bank and characterizes Israeli settlement activity as "illegal." [1]
The Australian government formally recognized Palestinian statehood in September of the previous year. [1] At the Labor conference, Foreign Minister Penny Wong reiterated Australia's "unequivocal condemnation" of Hamas, stating that "Hamas must disarm and play no role in the State of Palestine." [1] The party's conference ultimately adopted its platform positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without major changes or substantive debate. [1]