Dozens of protesters have gathered outside the Israeli embassy in Canberra, demanding the expulsion of Israel's ambassador to Australia following the decision not to prosecute the military officers responsible for the April 2024 strike that killed Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues in Gaza.
The demonstration on Tuesday saw activists converge on the embassy displaying photographs of Palestinians killed since October 7, chanting "Kick out the Israeli ambassador" as police maintained a heavy presence at the gates. A tense standoff unfolded when protesters blocked the embassy driveway in stress positions, requiring police to physically move them across the road, where chants of "free Palestine" continued.
Personal Grief and Outrage at the Embassy Gates
Among those present was Karuna Bajracharya, a close friend of Frankcom, who said he was deeply disturbed by statements made by former IDF reserve colonel Nochi Mendel. Mendel had given separate interviews in which he said he would do "exactly the same thing" again and that he believed the World Central Kitchen workers killed were "not innocent."
"It's infuriating. It's maddening," Bajracharya said. "Disgusting the fact that he said, 'I'm not sorry', and the fact that he said he'd do it again."
Bajracharya also directed criticism at Australia's political leadership, saying the government was "hamstrung" and calling on officials to send the ambassador home and cut the two-way arms trade with Israel. "The people that we vote for and we put into power and that our taxes pay is supposed to represent us, the Australian people, and we are begging them," he said.
A performance group called the Red Rebels staged a symbolic demonstration, walking slowly toward the embassy gates and carrying a fake baby to represent children killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes.
Political Figures Join Calls for Government Action
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi and independent senator Lidia Thorpe were both in attendance at the protest. Faruqi used the occasion to sharply criticise the federal government, labelling it "cowards" for failing to outline concrete next steps following Israel's decision to clear its own military of criminal wrongdoing.
"They have power. They have responsibility, and we will hold them to account. They should have sanctioned Israel a long time ago," Faruqi told the crowd.
Faruqi also took aim at Foreign Minister Penny Wong, noting that while Wong had described herself as "outraged" by Israel's findings — in what was characterised as Australia's strongest condemnation of Israel's actions — nearly three weeks had passed since that statement with no further action announced by the government.
"When Israel abrogated themselves of this crime, senator Wong told us how angry the Australian government was... and here we are, almost three weeks later, with nothing," Faruqi said.
Government's Position and the Ambassador's Refusal to Apologise
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last month that Israel had fallen short of the accountability required and pledged the government would continue pressing for justice for Frankcom and her colleagues. However, protesters and attending senators argue that words have not been matched with action.
Ambassador Hillel Newman declined to apologise to the Frankcom family following the IDF investigation's conclusion, stating that he felt for the family but that the outcomes of Israel's internal investigation must be respected. For those who knew Frankcom and those who marched on Tuesday, that response has done little to ease their anguish.
For more background on the IDF's findings, read our earlier coverage of how Israel cleared itself over the strike that killed Zomi Frankcom. Broader tensions in the region are also reflected in recent reports of Israeli settlers maintaining a siege on Palestinian homes in the West Bank.
