By Salma El-Sakka
Millions of dollars of food grown in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have been shipped to Australia labeled as "produce of Israel," according to new analysis of trade data by human rights organization Global Echo.
Trade data analysis reveals settlement products
Global Echo analysed 132 agricultural shipments from Israel to Australia between August 2018 and August 2026. Of those, 85 shipments – 64% – contained settlement products, amounting to at least US$5 million (A$7.2 million) of organic dates. The proportion of settlement goods has increased in recent years; between January 2025 and August 2026, 20 of 24 date shipments were sourced from settlements.
The settlements where the dates are grown – including Netiv Hagdud, Beit Haarava, Arvot Jericho, Hamra, Tomer, Mechora, and Naaran – are occupied parts of the West Bank recognised as part of the state of Palestine by Australia. Israeli law requires exports to label settlement products as originating from Israel unless the destination country prohibits such labelling. Australia has no law banning imports from settlement areas or requiring labels indicating occupied land origin.
Government response and international context
Foreign Minister Penny Wong told the Senate in September that Israel's settlements in the West Bank are illegal and called on Israel to stop settler violence. However, she said Australia is not pursuing a blanket import ban on settlement goods, as the UK, Spain, Belgium, Ireland, and the Netherlands have either announced or imposed. Wong cited concerns about implementation and unintended consequences for Australian businesses.
Global Echo's June report, "Importing Occupation," detailed how Israeli exporters to Europe hide the origin of produce grown in occupied Palestine to qualify for tax breaks and bolster the settler economy. Executive director Emily Schaeffer Omer-Man said the mislabelling is deliberate and that agriculture has been used for large-scale land grab and creeping annexation. She warned that import bans in Europe – Israel's largest market – could shift settlement goods to markets like Australia, Russia, and the US.
Human rights implications
Human Rights Watch researcher Sarah Sanbar said international trade is a lifeline for illegal settlements, which are inextricably linked to human rights abuses. Sanbar said settlements fragment the Palestinian economy, restrict Palestinian access to land and water, and limit development. A Palestinian farmer may lose his livelihood due to settlement expansion, only to see a settlement business profit from the same land, creating an economic environment that is unequal by design.
Diplomatic reactions
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is pursuing further targeted measures with international partners to deter illegal settlements and settler violence. The Israeli embassy in Canberra did not respond to a request for comment. UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described "settler terrorists" as committing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. Israel's ambassador to Australia, Dr Hillel Newman, said the issue had been "blown out of proportion" and warned Australia against following the UK's example.
