ISIS, also known as Islamic State (IS) is a Sunni extremist group that emerged during the Iraq War and later seized large parts of Iraq and Syria. At the height of its power in 2014, the group of over 65,000 fighters declared a so-called “caliphate”; an Islamist state governed by its radical interpretation of Islamic law. It imposed brutal rule over millions of people through mass killings, torture, sexual slavery and public executions, while also inspiring or directing terrorist attacks around the world. IS grew out of Al Qaeda’s branch in Iraq but became even more extreme, aiming to build a global Islamist state1.
Australia first listed the group as a terrorist organisation in 2005 under its former Arabic name, before re-listing it under its current name in 2007. More than 200 Australian men, women and children travelled to Syria and Iraq to join IS between 2012 and 2019, according to the Department of Home Affairs. Some Australian women travelled to Syria and Iraq with husbands and partners who supported IS. Others travelled with family members and later married IS fighters after arriving in the region. In the years since 2019, some of the women have told media, including the ABC, that they got stuck in Syria by accident or were coerced into going. All the women and children are Australian citizens and hold Australian passports1.
The Coalition parties and One Notion demanded that the government “shut the door” on these individuals and do everything possible to block their entry. However, the Australian Government has stated that under the Passports Act, it lacks the legal power to stop Australian citizens from re-entering the country. Instead, authorities maintain that returnees are met by police and intelligence agencies upon arrival to face the “full extent of the law”. Several have been arrested on their return for alleged crimes sometimes related to terrorism1.
And yet, there is another group of Australian passport holders who have been shown to have actively participated in the killing of many people, yet you never hear anything about them having the door shut in their faces when they return to Australia. Neither the Coalition nor One Notion ever shout about them being blocked from entering the country. These evil murderous bastards are holders of Australian passports who have served in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
The exact number of Australian nationals serving in the IDF is not tracked by the Australian government, though various estimates and reports provide a range of numbers. Historically, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has estimated that about 100 people with Australian passports serve with the IDF at any given time. However, despite stonewalling FOI requests, it has been estimated that up to 1,000 Australians may be actively serving in the IDF during the Gaza genocide2,3.
The IDF itself has reported that there are 621 Australians serving or who have served in the IDF during the Gaza genocide. In late 2024, The Department of Home Affairs has said that the “Government encourages all Australians who seek to serve with the armed forces of a foreign country to carefully consider their legal obligations, and ensure their conduct does not constitute a criminal offence.”
But other than that warning it seems little is done to investigate those who for example, have been involved, directly or indirectly, with the IDF in the Gaza genocide4.
This pissweak ‘warning’ needs to be stronger, but given how generally pissweak the federal government has been in its reaction to the Gaza genocide, that is unlikely at best. What the Albanese government should be prepared to state very publicly and unambiguously is that if you have been involved with the Israeli state in any way in the Gaza genocide you will be investigated when you come back to Australia. Will they? There is no chance of that ever happening. Why? Because they are too beholden to the Israel lobby and their supporters in the Murdoch and other media.
In addition to being a double standard, coming down hard on the ‘ISIS brides’, while allowing murderous IDF genocidaires to return to Australia without so much as an investigation of their activities, it is disgraceful gutlessness. In this regard, they are just like the Coalition parties and One Notion, completely lacking even a shred of morality.
Sources
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-08/what-is-known-about-is-linked-families-isis-brides-in-australia/106651536
- https://michaelwest.com.au/lips-are-sealed-on-australians-fighting-for-the-israel-defense-forces-in-gaza/
- https://www.higginschambers.com.au/australians-at-risk-gaza/
- https://johnmenadue.com/post/2026/02/foreign-fighters-for-israel-beyond-the-reach-of-australian-law/
absofuckinlutely!!!!!
I totally agree, keep that scum out of Australia.
However, equally as bad or even worse maybe, as ISIS and the IDF in my view, is Trump testing out his new toys, one being an horrific people killer missile he has inflicted on innocent civilian Iranian citizens.
It explodes above the ground of its target, and sends hundreds of thousands of bits of shrapnel into the huge blast area. The unmistakeable and sickening evidence is in the video.
The video from the New York Times is here: https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/middleeast/100000010916281/us-missile-iran-deaths-civilians.html
Please share it around.
It may assist to change the attitude of the Trump admirers in Australia, like those that wanted to build a Trump Tower on the Gold Coast. They all would likely agree with keeping scum out of Australia, but would likely welcome a visit from Trump.
Hoist on their own petard (mostly cut and pasted):
“We are done with this UN secretary-general,” said Israel envoy to theUN Danny Dannon. Putting Israel on the UN Sexual Violence List is “a moral disgrace that proves that Guterres has lost all credibility”. The list includes Hamas and Islamic State — “the most depraved terrorist organizations in the world,” Danon said.
Ironically Dannon is correct. Being on any list with Hamas and IS is certainly a moral disgrace – for Israel. Depravity has many faces.
Meanwhile Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry, wrote:
“The shameful and absurd UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) report is further proof of the UN’s true nature: a politicised and corrupt organisation that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Israel as its primary mission,”.
Here’s what he should have written:
“The UN decision to include Israeli entities in the annex to the CRSV (conflict-related sexual violence) report is further proof of the Netanyahu-led Israel’s true nature: a politicised and corrupt administration/country that has abandoned its founding principles and systematically targets Palestinians as its primary mission”.