Israel has not yet responded to Australia’s request to review its investigation into the deaths of seven international aid workers in a wrongful missile strike. But the Albanese government insists that should not be seen as a bad sign.
Senior figures are optimistic that Israel will cooperate with Australia’s specially appointed adviser, the former defence force chief and retired air chief marshal Mark Binskin, who is tasked to understand exactly how and why the Israel Defense Forces fired on the World Central Kitchen aid convoy, killing Australian Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues, and what is being done about it.
Foreign minister Penny Wong and defence minister Richard Marles have not received a reply to the letter they sent jointly to their Israeli counterparts late on Friday. The letter laid out their ongoing concerns after the IDF’s reported interim findings, flagging Binskin’s appointment and asking Israel to grant him the access he seeks.
The suggestion is that a formal reply letter could take a couple of weeks but that the signs are “positive”.
Israel is not inclined to agree to a full-blown independent international investigation into what happened. But that is, quite deliberately, not what is being proposed here.
The Albanese government is conscious that the already strained relations with China deteriorated severely after the Morrison government proposed an international investigation of the genesis of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is not proposing a shadow investigation of the Israeli missile attack. But it is asking for access to the evidence and to fully understand the process and the consequences.
The Australian request is framed as seeking details of the IDF’s policies and procedures for investigating incidents such as this, how those responsible are held to account, what measures are being adopted to prevent any repeat, and whether the incident requires further investigation.
That final point is the most contentious. Israeli media reports suggest Israel will block any foreign access to IDF officers who were directly involved. The Australian objective is to ensure the Israeli investigation is so absolutely thorough that no further investigation is required.
Wong has not appointed Binskin as an investigator but as an “adviser” to the Australian government tasked with asking questions of Israel on its behalf. It is a diplomatic, not a military, appointment. His dealings in the first instance will be through the Israeli embassy in Canberra and he will probably then have contact with other parts of the Israeli government, including the IDF.
In selecting him, the government was making a careful choice.
First, Binskin has rank. His status as a former CDF conveys several messages to Israel. Appointing such a senior former military officer is designed to serve as a mark of respect. It also emphasises that Australia is taking this issue extremely seriously.
Like Binskin, the Israeli investigator appointed to find out how and why the IDF came to fire on the WCK humanitarian aid convoy after specifically approving its movements is also a former senior military officer.
Now working in the defence industry, Yoav Har Even is a retired IDF major general – a two-star rank. Binskin’s rank at retirement was the air force equivalent of four-star.
Binskin’s status also makes it harder for the IDF to deflect his requests for information than it might be if the government had appointed a civilian expert in human rights or even military law instead. Binskin will doubtless have legal support available to him. But in these circumstances, the uniform talks – even if he doesn’t still wear it.
At least as important as these considerations is the fact that Binskin comes from the air force. He is very familiar with the fine detail of the use of air power. He is well acquainted with the laws that govern it and the real-time considerations and pressures involved in deciding to launch military strikes from the air.
He has been in the cockpit. He knows what goes down in those split seconds when a choice has to be made. That gives him extra standing in this situation. His questions will be informed by experience.
Binskin’s is a highly unusual appointment in a highly unusual situation and a diplomatically risky move by the government requiring a very careful approach.
His job is to underscore Australia’s demands for transparency, accountability, rigour and reform of the IDF’s targeting processes and, in asking pointed questions and pressing for answers, to ensure they are delivered.
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2024-04-10 09:15:00Z
CBMijQFodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVndWFyZGlhbi5jb20vd29ybGQvMjAyNC9hcHIvMTAvYXMtaXNyYWVscy1zaWxlbmNlLWdyb3dzLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1zZW5kcy1pbi1yZXRpcmVkLWRlZmVuY2UtY2hlZi10by1maW5kLWFuc3dlcnMtb24tYWlkLXdvcmtlcnPSAY0BaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAudGhlZ3VhcmRpYW4uY29tL3dvcmxkLzIwMjQvYXByLzEwL2FzLWlzcmFlbHMtc2lsZW5jZS1ncm93cy1hdXN0cmFsaWEtc2VuZHMtaW4tcmV0aXJlZC1kZWZlbmNlLWNoZWYtdG8tZmluZC1hbnN3ZXJzLW9uLWFpZC13b3JrZXJz
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