Penny Allman-Payne (Queensland, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

Early this year, concerns were raised that Australian registered charities are funnelling tax-deductible funds to illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank as well as the Israel Defense Forces. A recent investigative report and data from the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission identified several organisations linked to these activities. Jewish National Fund Australia is reported to have remitted over $125.4 million to Israel since 2009. An investigative document suggests that these funds have supported illegal settlements and IDF linked projects. An investigation by Michael West Media revealed that the United Israel Appeal Refugee Relief Fund has transferred approximately $376 million to Israel since 2013, via Keren Hayesod, with some funds reaching settlement expansion projects and soldiers. In early 2026 the Chai Charitable Foundation was found to be hosting fundraisers for organisations providing direct support to IDF soldiers and settlement communities in Tekoa and Hebron. I note that it did remove those campaigns from its home page, following media scrutiny. The United Nations special rapporteur has identified IsraelGives and Christians for Israel as having Australian subsidiaries with DGR status that may be enabling similar funding.

It is obviously of significant concern if there are charitable organisations in Australia that are funnelling funds to illegal occupiers and illegal settlements. The ACNC has said that it cannot enforce international law, such as the illegality of settlements, unless it's explicitly incorporated into domestic Australian law. I note that, between October 2023 and December 2025, the ACNC received 896 concerns, related to 88 charities, regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict. Obviously, given that these donations are tax-deductible, if they are finding their way to organisations that are associated with the illegal occupation of those territories, that effectively means taxpayers are subsidising illegal occupation and militarisation.

So the question that I put to the minister is: will the government support the foreshadowed Greens amendment, which would mean a loss of DGR status for organisations that are shown to be supporting illegal occupations?