Revoke the Australia/Israel Coproduction Treaty

Thanks to all who signed this petition, which continues to gather supporters (please continue to circulate so that we can keep up the pressure). 

It's taken three letters to the Minister, but we have finally received a government response. It is disappointingly perfunctory. 

Pasted below for your information are that response and my subsequent letter (emailed to the Minister today):

Response from the Screen and Arts Workforce Development Branch of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts

Thank you for your correspondence of 19 June 2025 to the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for the Arts, regarding your request to sever Australia's relationship with the Israel Film Fund. The Minister has asked me to reply on his behalf. 

I understand the concerns raised in the petition and appreciate you bringing them to the government’s attention. The government will continue to monitor Australia’s co-production agreements and consider whether they are of benefit to Australian screen producers. 

International co-productions offer Australia a range of cultural and economic benefits. They provide an effective way of supporting the domestic screen production sector by granting producers increased access to international investments, funding and tax incentives. Co-productions also help to grow international demand for Australian productions, increasing revenue for the Australian screen sector and bringing Australian stories to new and larger markets. 

Thank you for taking the time to write and I trust that this information will be of assistance. Yours sincerely 

Jason Potkins
Acting Assistant Secretary
Screen and Arts Workforce Development Branch 
02/07/2025 

My response to the above letter was as follows: 

Dear Minister,

I have received the attached response to my letter of May 19 and follow-up email of June 19 concerning the change.org petition calling upon you to revoke the Australia/Israel Coproduction Treaty and to meet with the Israeli Ambassador to Australia to discuss serious concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian filmmakers, media workers and artists.

This disappointingly perfunctory response fails to address the matters raised in the petition.

Instead we are advised that the government will continue to monitor Australia’s co-production agreements and consider whether they are of benefit to Australian screen producers.

Instances of Israel’s murder, mistreatment and intimidation of filmmakers, media workers and artists abound, and some were cited in both the petition itself and in letters to you dated April 10, May 19 and June 19.

Any monitoring of the Australia/Israel Coproduction Treaty should by now have concluded that it is wrong and indefensible for Australia to collaborate with agencies of an Israeli government that fails to observe basic rights to freedom of expression. If the government’s monitoring has not arrived at such a conclusion, then we ask that you outline for us the monitoring process, and reasons for it finding that cooperation with such a nation and its agencies is of sufficient benefit to Australia’s screen industry to outweigh our responsibilities to protect human rights.

The response prepared by Jason Potkins does not address the other aspect of the original petition which called upon you to convey the signatories’ concerns to the Israeli Ambassador.

Furthermore, it insults the intelligence of those who signed the petition, many of whom are distinguished filmmakers and artists well aware of potential advantages of Australia’s various coproduction treaties. Clearly they do not agree that there is advantage in continuing to be party to a treaty with an agency of a state which perpetrates terror against filmmakers, artists and media workers.

The Australia/Israel Coproduction treaty was signed in 1997 and has only been used twice in the 27 years since it was activated in 1998.  The benefit to Australia’s screen industries is minimal, whilst the moral and ethical costs involved in Australia’s association with Israel, a state which has shown flagrant disregard for the principle of freedom of expression, are immense.

Once again I urge you to consider the serious concerns expressed in a petition signed by 1,892 Australians (as of July 4), who will not be placated by a cursory response.

Yours sincerely,

Sharon Connolly