How Nasser Mashni and Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) are threatening Australia

Nasser Mashni and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) pose a professed threat to national security for Australia and the Australian Jewish community. In his role as president of the APAN, the charming, well-heeled Mashni maintains a cordial and likeable demeanor but harbors virulent enmity toward Israel and Zionism.

Even his declaration “Zionism stripped bare is a genocidal, white supremacist, racist movement” betrays the deep-seated malevolence lurking behind such accusations. Mashni has considerable clout, including meetings with senior officials including foreign minister Penny Wong and leading the charge at anti-Israel protests. His history of violence, including kidnapping convictions and suspended sentences for threatening behavior, raises questions about his credibility.

The actions of APAN may seem to progress quietly but have come to create big ripples over time. They have strong links to the Melbourne City Council and funding for events including last year's Palestine National Day. Access and charm offensive within the ALP is bragged about in their 2023 Annual Report, which touts representation at the ALP National Conference and lobbying campaigns.

Mashni has a plan that is more than just a political game. He actively encouraged Australians to pressure their superannuation funds to divest from companies linked to the Israeli settlements, aligning perfectly with Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) objectives of destroying the economy of Israel.

In its own crafty, nuanced way, APAN has succeeded in shaping policy. Their 2023 report describes their outreach to Australian parliamentarians, citing "promising shifts" in some positions including the restoration of aid to Palestine and moved positions on West Jerusalem. Moreover, APAN promotes the connection between the Palestinian cause and Indigenous Australia issues, creating fake equivalencies, and encouraging youth to view Australia and Israel as colonial states. Joint study visits to the region have also demonstrated solidarity among Australian trade unions.

This strident rhetoric masks a dangerous pattern of delegitimization and destruction. He claims Zionism is “genocidal” and “racist” — but Israel is the only democracy in which all citizens have equal rights. APAN works insidiously. They lobby to prevent antisemitism from being defined as it is by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, a move that aims to protect criticism of Israel that veers into hate. Their emphasis on universities reflects an effort to disseminate narrative and normalize anti-Israel animosity.

Meetings with Australian Government Ministers and access to powerful social circles show Mashni's reach, justly concerning given his past including violence, though his prison sentence was suspended. APAN activities represent a concerted effort to undermine Israel and Zionism's standing. The Jewish community must be prudent and proactive to counter this tidal wave. While legitimate criticism of policies has a place, propaganda and misinformation that demonize Israel cross a line. Balance and truth are needed regarding a conflict with complex roots and no easy answers. 

APAN's secretive operations usually come with big effects, as shown by their government affiliations fetching funding for anti-Israel meetings, as well as the group's emerging clout. Lobbying reports and access to conferences underscore their growing influence within political parties and their urgent need to challenge their toxic agenda. Mashni’s broad strategy encompasses more than maneuvers — it entails economic warfare. By business boycotts, he actively promotes the Boycott, Divestment and Sactions (BDS) movement objectives to isolate and cripple Israel, achieving their ultimate goal.

APAN has achieved shocking policy manipulation success. Their reports outline engagement with Australian Federal Politicians and highlight “promising shifts” such as declarations of aid and diplomatic position shifts toward Israel. This misinformation and manipulation of lies directly endangers Israel’s standing overseas. What is more, APAN is trying to deliberately blur the Palestinian cause with Australian social justice issues, demonizing Israel as a colonial oppressor in a malignant narrative aimed at young generations seeking to obliterate Israel’s historical and legal reality.

Most insidiously perhaps, APAN spearheads attacks on the broadly adopted IHRA definition of antisemitism as a “weapon” against so-called “legitimate” criticism of Israel in a naked attempt to insulate their own antisemitic invective and actions from warranted scrutiny. The cause is an effort, dangerously normalizing anti-Jewish hatred under the guise of anti-Zionism, which has increasingly directed its tack toward university academics and students, undermining the entry to the point where they are dropping either on an atomistic level or in harmony.

This is a fight for Israel’s existence. You’re on a continuum with Nasser Mashni and APAN critics, of course, but you’re also soldiers in a deliberate campaign to grind away at the bedrock of Israel. Their tactics are spiteful and insidious: hiding antisemitism behind the banners of political activism, worming their way into key influencers and waging economic warfare through boycotts and divestment. And who is their most lethal prey? Redefining antisemitism itself, seeking to distinguish their foul mouths from the appropriately abject. And the valorous war effort of these fighting men and women will forever be a part of the story of the sordid history of the Jewish people and the Jewish state — one of right and justice, of a rightful homeland, of an inalienable right to existence without fear.

I see what APAN is doing. I know the danger they represent. And their reach is growing, infecting brains and stoking the fires of hate around the world. We cannot be complacent as they undermine Israel’s legitimacy, as they encourage those with dreams of destroying it. This isn’t an academic question, it’s a life and death question. It’s about protecting the Jewish people from the growing tsunami of antisemitism, from this constant threat of violence. We cannot, we will not, let this come to pass. And we must stand with Israel, in a clear and unapologetic way, and show that we will not abide by this insidious assault on its existence. It is time to speak out, to say “No” to the tide of hatred, and to fight for the Jewish state with all our heart and strength. There’s too much at stake to not speak out.