Greens send October 7 anniversary email linked to party fundraising page

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The Greens used the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, which precipitated Israel’s onslaught in Gaza, to solicit donations for party political operations, prompting Labor to accuse it of using the humanitarian crisis for its own gain.

About 5pm on October 7 last week, the party sent a plea to its supporters to “donate today to help end the occupation and stand with Palestine”.

Greens leader Larissa Waters arrives at the pro-Palestinian rally at Queens Gardens in Brisbane.

The mailout was sent two days after Greens leader Larissa Waters was condemned for linking the stabbings of Jews on Yom Kippur in Manchester with the Albanese government’s stance on the conflict in Gaza, which has been labelled a genocide by a United Nations inquiry.

“Today marks two years since the war on Gaza began – and for Palestinians, the suffering continues without release,” the NSW Greens email, seen by this masthead, said.

“Yet even amid devastation, resistance lives. Join us at the Palestine rally this Sunday, 12 Oct at 1pm, Hyde Park, Sydney.”

The final line in the email said: “P.S. Donate today to help end the occupation and stand with Palestine.”

The donations web page people are directed to from the October 7 email

The email directs readers to a Greens website asking people to donate between $25-$250, or an amount of their choosing, on a recurring basis.

This masthead is not suggesting the NSW Greens elected representatives – including senators David Shoebridge and Mehreen Faruqi – were responsible for the email, only that it was distributed by NSW Greens headquarters.

Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly said the email proved the Greens had politicised the conflict, echoing remarks from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week.

“This shows what the Greens have always been about – manipulating distress over Gaza for their own benefit,” she said.

“They call for donations from people upset about the terrible plight of Palestinians and then use that money to advance their own careers.”

A spokesman for Waters said that “donations are a matter for the party”.

A separate spokesperson for the NSW branch said the email was about drawing people to a rally and “for those who couldn’t make it, people could support the Greens’ efforts to push Labor to end the two-way arms trade with Israel … via donation”.

“Labor is desperate to distract from the fact that Anthony Albanese’s government continues to profit off the two-way arms trade with Israel, sending F-35 parts that support the IDF’s genocide, and have billions of dollars of contracts with Israeli weapons manufacturers,” the NSW Greens spokesperson said.

“While the Greens are happy to be supported by people who want to see peace, Labor continues to accept donations from weapons manufacturers, including those profiting off Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”

Labor has repeatedly stated the Greens’ claims about weapons trading with Israel were based on falsehoods.

The Greens and Labor have been in a bitter dispute over the government’s response to the Gaza war for much of the two years since Hamas’ incursion into Israel.

Under former leader Adam Bandt, the Greens frequently claimed Labor was “complicit in genocide”, placing the Middle East conflict at the centre of its campaign against the government.

The Greens lost three of its four lower house seats at the May election, including Bandt’s seat of Melbourne. Commentators attributed the losses to a collapse in the Liberal vote assisting Labor in some seats, a co-ordinated right-wing campaign against the Greens, and emphasis on Gaza instead of the housing crisis.

Labor gradually shifted its position as public opinion drifted away from Israel, placing sanctions on far-right Israeli ministers and joining a global push to recognise Palestinian statehood. Labor claimed this push added momentum to the US-brokered peace plan.

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