AJA DOESN'T JUST TALK. WE GET RESULTS.
From confronting antisemitism to standing up for Israel and challenging those in positions of power, AJA continues to make its voice heard.
Our latest video showcases some of our recent achievements.
And we're only getting started.
Thank Australians who support our work.
WATCH. SHARE. JOIN. SUPPORT
From confronting antisemitism to standing up for Israel and challenging those in positions of power, AJA continues to make its voice heard.
Our latest video showcases some of our recent achievements.
And we're only getting started.
Thank Australians who support our work.
WATCH. SHARE. JOIN. SUPPORT
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Israel Election 2026: What Just Happened? | Ariel Kahana, JNS Israel
Israel has voted. What do the election results mean for the country's political future?
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) was joined by Ariel Kahana, Managing Editor of JNS Israel, for a special post-election discussion on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
We discuss:
The election results and the performance of the major parties Benjamin Netanyahu's political position
The prospects for forming a new government
The implications for Israel's domestic and foreign policy
What comes next for Israel
@arik3000
youtu.be/M7MfwFaLLJs?si…
Israel has voted. What do the election results mean for the country's political future?
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) was joined by Ariel Kahana, Managing Editor of JNS Israel, for a special post-election discussion on Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
We discuss:
The election results and the performance of the major parties Benjamin Netanyahu's political position
The prospects for forming a new government
The implications for Israel's domestic and foreign policy
What comes next for Israel
@arik3000
youtu.be/M7MfwFaLLJs?si…
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Ironic
The Albanese Government stabbed Israel in the back in its time of need, imposing sanctions on the Jewish State as it battled Islamic terrorists on 7 fronts following the October 7 massacre.
Labor has made it difficult for Australian companies to sell weapons to Israel.
tedly considering asking to purchase Israeli-made weapons.
Australia is lucky that Israel has higher moral standards than Anthony Albanese.
The Albanese Government stabbed Israel in the back in its time of need, imposing sanctions on the Jewish State as it battled Islamic terrorists on 7 fronts following the October 7 massacre.
Labor has made it difficult for Australian companies to sell weapons to Israel.
tedly considering asking to purchase Israeli-made weapons.
Australia is lucky that Israel has higher moral standards than Anthony Albanese.
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JNS editor: Arab turnout reshaped election
By Gareth Narunsky
The biggest surprise of Israel’s election was the surge in the Arab vote, which pushed the two Arab parties to a record result and raised the electoral threshold enough to knock smaller parties out of the Knesset, Israeli political journalist Ariel Kahana says.
Kahana, managing editor of JNS Israel, told the Australian Jewish Association’s weekly speaker series on Wednesday, with about half the vote counted, that almost nobody had anticipated the result. “Almost no one expected they’re going to have 16, 17, maybe even 18 seats in the Knesset, and that’s breaking all records,” he said.
The consequence was arithmetic. “If in previous elections it used to be, let’s say, 40,000 votes for a mandate, so now it becomes close to 48, even 50,000,” Kahana said, meaning several smaller parties failed to clear the four-seat minimum.
Kahana said the final polls, taken the Friday before the vote, had been inaccurate, with only i24’s pollster getting close. He attributed it to a late shift in the last days and to the declining reliability of polling methods that now rely on text messages and WhatsApp rather than landlines.
He also credited a Netanyahu bloc operation on election afternoon that he described as remarkable, saying he received three calls from right-wing activists at 8pm, 90 minutes before polls closed, asking whether he had voted. “The pressure on potential voters to take people out was really remarkable, and it had an effect.”
On the preliminary count, Likud was the largest party on about 21 per cent, with Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar on 16 per cent. The Arab Joint List was third, with Ra’am also clearing the threshold. Netanyahu’s bloc stood at about 54 seats and the change bloc at about 47 — both well short of the 61 needed to govern.
That leaves Eisenkot with a theoretical path to 66 with the Arab parties, and a political problem. “To establish a government that is based and dependent with anti-Zionist parties, that’s a problem by many Israelis, including in Gadi Eisenkot’s party,” Kahana said, noting Avigdor Lieberman had repeatedly promised not to include them.
“If they will try to establish a government this way, it will mean breaking an election promise. That would be a serious violation, and I would say crossing kind of Israeli consensus.”
He noted the previous change government under Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett was supported by Mansour Abbas, but was not dependent on him to the same degree.
Kahana said some in the change bloc were now arguing that the Haredi parties were not Zionist either, and asking why dependency on them was acceptable. He could not predict how that argument would resolve.
He was blunt about the night’s verdict on both camps. The change bloc had expected to approach 60 seats. “For them to get really under 50, that’s definitely not a success, and actually, I would say kind of a failure,” he said. “Considering all that happened in Israel since October 7, potentially they could have and should have had much bigger success.”
For Netanyahu, without 61 it was not a victory, but it was a success. “He’s once again the biggest party, and with a serious gap with all others,” Kahana said. “It means, in my opinion, that a lot of Israelis do support him and do trust him more than any other political leader in Israel. That’s a fact, whether we like it or not.”
Nor, he argued, was the result a vote of no confidence over October 7. “If his party would fall from 32 to 18, you could say that’s a crisis. It means people don’t trust him anymore. When he fell from 30 to 27, 28, I don’t see it as a mistrust.”
Some 600,000 soldiers’ votes were to be counted from Wednesday night and traditionally lean right, Kahana said, possibly lifting Netanyahu to 56 or 57 — but not to 61.
Whoever forms a minority government faces a deadline: a budget must pass by March 31 or the government falls automatically. “If Eisenkot would like the Arab parties to support the budget, he will have to pay,” Kahana said. “And the same with Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox.”
Final counting was expected to conclude on Friday, with formal results and seat calculations next week, after which parties recommend a candidate to President Isaac Herzog.
australianjewishnews.com/jns-editor-ara…
By Gareth Narunsky
The biggest surprise of Israel’s election was the surge in the Arab vote, which pushed the two Arab parties to a record result and raised the electoral threshold enough to knock smaller parties out of the Knesset, Israeli political journalist Ariel Kahana says.
Kahana, managing editor of JNS Israel, told the Australian Jewish Association’s weekly speaker series on Wednesday, with about half the vote counted, that almost nobody had anticipated the result. “Almost no one expected they’re going to have 16, 17, maybe even 18 seats in the Knesset, and that’s breaking all records,” he said.
The consequence was arithmetic. “If in previous elections it used to be, let’s say, 40,000 votes for a mandate, so now it becomes close to 48, even 50,000,” Kahana said, meaning several smaller parties failed to clear the four-seat minimum.
Kahana said the final polls, taken the Friday before the vote, had been inaccurate, with only i24’s pollster getting close. He attributed it to a late shift in the last days and to the declining reliability of polling methods that now rely on text messages and WhatsApp rather than landlines.
He also credited a Netanyahu bloc operation on election afternoon that he described as remarkable, saying he received three calls from right-wing activists at 8pm, 90 minutes before polls closed, asking whether he had voted. “The pressure on potential voters to take people out was really remarkable, and it had an effect.”
On the preliminary count, Likud was the largest party on about 21 per cent, with Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar on 16 per cent. The Arab Joint List was third, with Ra’am also clearing the threshold. Netanyahu’s bloc stood at about 54 seats and the change bloc at about 47 — both well short of the 61 needed to govern.
That leaves Eisenkot with a theoretical path to 66 with the Arab parties, and a political problem. “To establish a government that is based and dependent with anti-Zionist parties, that’s a problem by many Israelis, including in Gadi Eisenkot’s party,” Kahana said, noting Avigdor Lieberman had repeatedly promised not to include them.
“If they will try to establish a government this way, it will mean breaking an election promise. That would be a serious violation, and I would say crossing kind of Israeli consensus.”
He noted the previous change government under Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett was supported by Mansour Abbas, but was not dependent on him to the same degree.
Kahana said some in the change bloc were now arguing that the Haredi parties were not Zionist either, and asking why dependency on them was acceptable. He could not predict how that argument would resolve.
He was blunt about the night’s verdict on both camps. The change bloc had expected to approach 60 seats. “For them to get really under 50, that’s definitely not a success, and actually, I would say kind of a failure,” he said. “Considering all that happened in Israel since October 7, potentially they could have and should have had much bigger success.”
For Netanyahu, without 61 it was not a victory, but it was a success. “He’s once again the biggest party, and with a serious gap with all others,” Kahana said. “It means, in my opinion, that a lot of Israelis do support him and do trust him more than any other political leader in Israel. That’s a fact, whether we like it or not.”
Nor, he argued, was the result a vote of no confidence over October 7. “If his party would fall from 32 to 18, you could say that’s a crisis. It means people don’t trust him anymore. When he fell from 30 to 27, 28, I don’t see it as a mistrust.”
Some 600,000 soldiers’ votes were to be counted from Wednesday night and traditionally lean right, Kahana said, possibly lifting Netanyahu to 56 or 57 — but not to 61.
Whoever forms a minority government faces a deadline: a budget must pass by March 31 or the government falls automatically. “If Eisenkot would like the Arab parties to support the budget, he will have to pay,” Kahana said. “And the same with Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox.”
Final counting was expected to conclude on Friday, with formal results and seat calculations next week, after which parties recommend a candidate to President Isaac Herzog.
australianjewishnews.com/jns-editor-ara…
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It's time for Australia to revoke its recognition of 'Palestine'
🚨BREAKING: Penny Wong BACKFLIPS after Palestine BREAKS statehood deal with Australia.
The Foreign Minister admitted at Senate estimates that Labor's conditions for recognising Palestine carry NO consequences.
Even if the Palestinian Authority NEVER holds the promised ayments to terrorists and their families, and Hamas is NEVER excluded from a future Palestinian state, Australia's recognition will STILL stand.
Full report: rebelne.ws/4e1l8ln
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As exit poll results rolled in on Wednesday morning, Australian Jewish Association president Robert Gregory observed that Likud appeared to have emerged as the largest party, but said the next government would depend on final results and coalition negotiations.
“Many who have prematurely written off ‘Bibi’ over the years have been sorely disappointed,” Gregory said.
He noted the particularly high turnout among Arab Israeli voters as “a powerful reminder that Arab citizens participate in Israel’s democratic system and can influence its political future”, contrasting it with the PA, where Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005 to a four-year term and remains in office 21 years later.
australianjewishnews.com/calls-to-rebui…
“Many who have prematurely written off ‘Bibi’ over the years have been sorely disappointed,” Gregory said.
He noted the particularly high turnout among Arab Israeli voters as “a powerful reminder that Arab citizens participate in Israel’s democratic system and can influence its political future”, contrasting it with the PA, where Mahmoud Abbas was elected in 2005 to a four-year term and remains in office 21 years later.
australianjewishnews.com/calls-to-rebui…
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AJA WELCOMES ISRAEL'S DEMOCRATIC ELECTION
The Australian Jewish Association welcomes the strong participation of Israeli citizens in the country's latest democratic election.
AJA President Robert Gregory said:
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud appears to have emerged emonstrating its continued electoral strength and challenging claims that his political support has collapsed. However, the composition of the next government will depend on the final results and coalition negotiations.
Many who have prematurely written off 'Bibi' over the years have been sorely disappointed.
Israel stands out as the Middle East's only longstanding liberal parliamentary democracy, with fiercely contested elections, a free press and citizens from all backgrounds exercising their right to vote.
The particularly high turnout among Arab Israeli voters is a powerful reminder that Arab citizens participate in Israel's democratic system and can influence its political future. This challenges those who seek to portray Israel as a country where Arab citizens have no political voice.
Contrast this with the Palestinian Authority, where Mahmoud Abbas was elected president in 2005 for a four-year term and remains in office more than 21 years later. Palestinians have not held a national legislative election since 2006.
There was a coordinated effort by the anti-Netanyahu bloc to fly tens of thousands of Israeli citizens living overseas back to Israel to vote, including from Australia. However, this effort appears not to have achieved its intended outcome.
The next Israeli Government faces serious challenges, including the continuing threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, surging global antisemitism and growing hostility from governments in Europe, Australia and elsewhere.
Whatever government emerges from the election, Israel will need strength, unity and experienced leadership to navigate these challenges.
The decision about Israel's leadership belongs to the Israeli people, not foreign governments, international organisations or commentators abroad.
AJA respects the democratic choice of Israeli voters and wishes the State of Israel strength, security and success in the years ahead.”
The Australian Jewish Association welcomes the strong participation of Israeli citizens in the country's latest democratic election.
AJA President Robert Gregory said:
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud appears to have emerged emonstrating its continued electoral strength and challenging claims that his political support has collapsed. However, the composition of the next government will depend on the final results and coalition negotiations.
Many who have prematurely written off 'Bibi' over the years have been sorely disappointed.
Israel stands out as the Middle East's only longstanding liberal parliamentary democracy, with fiercely contested elections, a free press and citizens from all backgrounds exercising their right to vote.
The particularly high turnout among Arab Israeli voters is a powerful reminder that Arab citizens participate in Israel's democratic system and can influence its political future. This challenges those who seek to portray Israel as a country where Arab citizens have no political voice.
Contrast this with the Palestinian Authority, where Mahmoud Abbas was elected president in 2005 for a four-year term and remains in office more than 21 years later. Palestinians have not held a national legislative election since 2006.
There was a coordinated effort by the anti-Netanyahu bloc to fly tens of thousands of Israeli citizens living overseas back to Israel to vote, including from Australia. However, this effort appears not to have achieved its intended outcome.
The next Israeli Government faces serious challenges, including the continuing threat from the Islamic Republic of Iran, surging global antisemitism and growing hostility from governments in Europe, Australia and elsewhere.
Whatever government emerges from the election, Israel will need strength, unity and experienced leadership to navigate these challenges.
The decision about Israel's leadership belongs to the Israeli people, not foreign governments, international organisations or commentators abroad.
AJA respects the democratic choice of Israeli voters and wishes the State of Israel strength, security and success in the years ahead.”
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Exit polls are out.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud is showing as the largest party but neither side appears to have an easy path to forming government.
Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud is showing as the largest party but neither side appears to have an easy path to forming government.
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AJA PRESIDENT TO SPEAK AT DAMINYAN IN MELBOURNE
AJA President Robert Gregory will be speaking at DaMinyan in Melbourne this Shabbat on the topic of “Advocating According to Torah Values.”
Join us for services and the talk.
AJA President Robert Gregory will be speaking at DaMinyan in Melbourne this Shabbat on the topic of “Advocating According to Torah Values.”
Join us for services and the talk.
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AUSTRALIAN IMAMS HOST TERRORIST SUPPORTERS
The Australian National Imams Council recently hosted several open supporters of terrorism for a gathering of Muslim scholars "with a message of unity and hope"
President of the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) Maulana publicly backed terrorist groups on multiple occasions, saying "We salute Hamas. We salute the jihad movement. The only language that the Zionists have ever understood is a jihad and resistance movement"
The UK representative, Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah Hassan has publicly supported terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden and viciously attacked Jews and gays.
Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek welcomed the international visitors and highlighted the diversity of the community surrounding ANIC’s headquarters in his council areas.
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) has been awarded or tasked with administering more than $25 million in taxpayer-funded programs, including a major Commonwealth security grant. And that's just the start.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has praised the ANIC for their work on several occasions. Burke has revoked the visas of several Jewish and Israeli visitors.
The Australian National Imams Council recently hosted several open supporters of terrorism for a gathering of Muslim scholars "with a message of unity and hope"
President of the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) Maulana publicly backed terrorist groups on multiple occasions, saying "We salute Hamas. We salute the jihad movement. The only language that the Zionists have ever understood is a jihad and resistance movement"
The UK representative, Sheikh Sheikh Abdullah Hassan has publicly supported terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden and viciously attacked Jews and gays.
Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek welcomed the international visitors and highlighted the diversity of the community surrounding ANIC’s headquarters in his council areas.
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) has been awarded or tasked with administering more than $25 million in taxpayer-funded programs, including a major Commonwealth security grant. And that's just the start.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has praised the ANIC for their work on several occasions. Burke has revoked the visas of several Jewish and Israeli visitors.
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AJA AT SHIR MUSIC FESTIVAL, SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
AJA was honoured to be a featured partner of the incredible Shir Music Festival at the Sydney Opera House last night.
It was wonderful to see Australia's Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, Israel's Ambassador, Dr Hillel Newman, and many the sold-out crowd of 2,000.
Festival Director Ben Adler delivered a powerful speech about Jewish pride.
Former Israeli hostage Daniella Gilboa made her extraordinary international debut, in what was a particularly moving moment of the evening.
We also enjoyed performances celebrating the music and cultures of our Iranian, Indian and Samoan friends.
It was a magnificent celebration of Jewish culture, music and resilience.
Everyone went home uplifted and inspired!
AJA was honoured to be a featured partner of the incredible Shir Music Festival at the Sydney Opera House last night.
It was wonderful to see Australia's Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, Israel's Ambassador, Dr Hillel Newman, and many the sold-out crowd of 2,000.
Festival Director Ben Adler delivered a powerful speech about Jewish pride.
Former Israeli hostage Daniella Gilboa made her extraordinary international debut, in what was a particularly moving moment of the evening.
We also enjoyed performances celebrating the music and cultures of our Iranian, Indian and Samoan friends.
It was a magnificent celebration of Jewish culture, music and resilience.
Everyone went home uplifted and inspired!
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Australian Jewish Association retweeted
NGO Monitor Legal Advisor @AnneHerzberg14 will be joining @AbcwatchAu @alliesaus @AustralianJA in Australia to share her experience representing NGO Monitor at the UN.
To register:
📅Tuesday, October 27 📍Sydney events.humanitix.com/israel-at-the-…
📅 Wednesday, November 11 📍Melbourne events.humanitix.com/fighting-for-i…
To register:
📅Tuesday, October 27 📍Sydney events.humanitix.com/israel-at-the-…
📅 Wednesday, November 11 📍Melbourne events.humanitix.com/fighting-for-i…
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AJA ON ABC BREAKFAST TV
AJA Vice President Tamir Aloni joined ABC Breakfast TV to discuss Israel's upcoming elections.
Tamir is travelling to Israel, where he will exercise his right to vote.
He spoke about the importance of Israel resisting hostile pressure from foreign the Albanese Government, and continuing to act in defence of its sovereignty and the security of its citizens.
AJA Vice President Tamir Aloni joined ABC Breakfast TV to discuss Israel's upcoming elections.
Tamir is travelling to Israel, where he will exercise his right to vote.
He spoke about the importance of Israel resisting hostile pressure from foreign the Albanese Government, and continuing to act in defence of its sovereignty and the security of its citizens.
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Repeat alerts to National Security Hotline over Sydney charity worker’s Hamas-linked fundraisers- AJA comments in article
By Suzan Giuliani
The National Security Hotline was contacted at least four times over concerns about alleged terrorism financing involving a Western Sydney nday Telegraph has spoken to three people from Sydney and Melbourne who made repeated complaints to Australian authorities about charity worker Dalya Ayoub’s fundraising activities for Qawafil Al Khair and her social media posts praising Hamas, including labelling “Jihad” as “an act of worship”, after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel.
The complaints were lodged with several agencies, including Home Affairs’ National Security Hotline, eSafety Commissioner, Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), NSW Fair Trading, the Australian Taxation Office and the eSafety Commissioner.
The Sunday Telegraph has sighted at least 15 emails and screenshots of online reports documenting complaints submitted through official reporting channels.
But despite repeated warnings to authorities, Ms Ayoub, who previously lived in Bass Hill before relocating to the Middle East in early 2023, continued promoting fundraising campaigns that attracted donations from Australians.
It can also be revealed that another woman, Fatima Khodr, who lives in Melbourne, worked closely with Ms Ayoub, publicly promoting Qawafil and sharing fundraising campaigns associated with the charity since 2021.
The revelations come after a major Sunday Telegraph investigation exposed Ms Ayoub’s fundraising activities for Qawafil, which was sanctioned by the United States in January over its financial support for Hamas’s military wing.
Ms Ayoub’s own campaign, titled “Qawafil Australia / Ust. Dalya Ayoub”, displayed more than US$1 million in donations on crowd-funding platform Ensany.
A separate GoFundMe campaign created by Ms Ayoub, who has since been banned from the platform, raised more than $1.5 million.
One woman, who contacted the National Security Hotline at least four times between November 2023 and January 2026 and lodged complaints with other authorities, said she was “bewildered” that Ms Ayoub had been able to continue fundraising and publishing social media content praising Hamas.
In one complaint, the woman warned: “There are also concerns around whether any of this money is going to support terrorist activities as she openly praises acts of terrorism as ‘resistance’.”
“To me, this really exposed grave national security failures in our system,” she told The Telegraph.
“For the past three years I’ve seen multiple fundraisers where she has continued to advertise campaigns that have raised millions of dollars, with a lot of donations coming from Australians.”
In another report, seen by The Telegraph, which was dated November 13, 2023, the eSafety Commissioner advised the same woman it had reviewed 10 Instagram posts, including content describing October 7 as an “unprecedented beginning” and referring to “Jihad” as an “act of worship”.
However, eSafety said it “did not locate any material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act or material that contains detailed instruction or promotion in matters of crime or violence”.
The woman challenged the finding, pointing to videos and images she said depicted the October 7 attacks, including confronting footage from the Nova music festival massacre and armed Hamas militants entering an Israeli town.
“I can’t see how it’s in the public interest to keep this material online,” she wrote.
Another source, who made reports to Instagram about Ms Ayoub’s content, said she was “dumbfounded” that posts she believed glorified dead Hamas terrorists as “martyrs” had not been removed.
A third person, who contacted the ACNC, raised concerns after Ms Ayoub directed Australian donors to a local bank account under the name “Life Matters”, an organisation she founded in 2024.
He said he received no substantive follow-up from authorities despite raising concerns about the fundraising arrangements.
Ms Ayoub worked closely with Melbourne woman Ms Khodr, who has publicly promoted her involvement with Qawafil and shared fundraising material linked to the organisation since 2021.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Khodr is a qualified remedial therapist based in Melbourne.
On January 15 this year, Ms Khodr wrote on Instagram: “This day is the day where one of our precious CEO was assassinated by the occupation”, alongside a photograph of Ali Al-Maghribi, a founder of Qawafil who has documented links to Hamas.
Ms Khodr had previously included a Qawafil fundraising link in her Instagram biography, which is understood to have been changed following the announcement of US sanctions against the charity.
A federal government source told The Telegraph that authorities had received reports concerning Ms Khodr’s fundraising activities and online conduct.
Meanwhile, despite Qawafil-linked fundraising pages associated with Ms Ayoub being removed earlier this month, around the time The Telegraph began raising questions about the charity, other campaigns promoted by Ms Ayoub have continued to attract donations through the online platform Ensany.
The campaigns, some of which have attracted donations from people identifying themselves as being from Sydney and Melbourne, have raised thousands of dollars since the Qawafil links were removed.
While the newer campaigns are not explicitly listed under Qawafil, their continued operation raises questions about transparency, oversight and the scrutiny of Australian donations directed to overseas humanitarian causes.
Associate Professor Josh Roose, a Deakn University expert on religion and violent extremism, said while agencies would not disclose if someone was under investigation, it was “concerning that any fundraising allegedly linked to terrorism would be able to continue unabated”.
“It is becoming evident that charities may be a largely unwatched back door for such funding, and much more scrutiny, and the associated resources to do so, is necessary,” Dr Roose said.
Last week, in response to the allegations, Ms Ayoub’s lawyer Moustafa Kheir, from Birchgrove Legal, said his client “was not aware of alleged Hamas connections” to the charity.
“Since the US sanctions were brought to her attention she has ceased operations with all organisations and run the humanitarian projects under her own name,” Mr Kheir said.
“Ms Ayoub has only ever supported humanitarian projects – some of which had an involvement by Qawafil.
“The purpose, even prior to the genocide, has always been to assist innocent civilians and families suffering in Gaza and to provide desperately needed humanitarian aid.
“None of her activities have had anything to do with supporting armed groups financially and she has been public about every single project she raised funds for in Gaza since the genocide began.”
Meanwhile, opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said the National Security Hotline was supposed to be a “frontline defence against terrorism”.
“It would be disastrous if Australians were reporting suspected terrorist activity and those warnings weren’t being properly investigated and actioned,” Mr Duniam said.
“Minister (Tony) Burke needs to explain exactly how these complaints were handled, whether they were referred to our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and what steps were taken to ensure Australian donations weren’t ending up in the hands of terrorists.”
National Council of Jewish Women of Australia president Lynda Ben-Menashe said: “The e-safety, cultural safety and physical safety of every Australian is at risk unless we wake up to the real threats posed by hostile actors outside and inside our country.”
“It’s time to start listening to the people who already knew this, and take action.”
Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said: “The allegations are extremely disturbing and raise serious questions about how fundraising activities in Australia are being monitored.”
“If concerns about possible terrorism financing were repeatedly reported to the National Security Hotline, Australians deserve to know what action was taken and whether the warnings were properly investigated,” he said.
A NSW Fair Trading spokeswoman said that in late 2023, the authority received a complaint concerning charitable fundraising by Life Matters Academy and Ms Ayoub.
“NSW Fair Trading acted on that complaint and investigated the matters which resulted in a formal warning being issued to an associated holder of a charitable fundraising authority,” the spokeswoman said.
“Any allegation that funds may have been directed to Hamas is a serious matter and should be referred to the Australian Federal Police and Austrac, which are the appropriate authorities to investigate such allegations.
“NSW Fair Trading will cooperate fully with relevant law enforcement agencies and provide any information it is lawfully able to provide.”
An eSafety spokesman said it had also identified one complaint in relation to this material received through the Illegal and Restricted Content scheme in 2023.
“eSafety is unable to comment on specific details of individual complaints, however, it is important to stress the threshold for removal of material under this scheme is set high under the Online Safety Act to protect freedom of speech,” he said.
“For eSafety to require removal the material must be, or be likely to be, Refused Classification by the Australian Classification Board.
“To meet this threshold material must either promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence, or in the case of praise for terrorist activity, it must also pose a substantial risk that such praise could have the effect of leading a person to engage in terrorism. An example might include the publication of a terrorist manifesto following a terrorist attack.
“Recent experience has shown how, following appeal processes, even extreme graphic footage like that showing the Wakeley terrorist stabbing in 2024 and the shooting death of Charlie Kirk in 2025 does not meet the criteria to be considered refused classification and therefore subject to eSafety’s legal removal powers under the Online Safety Act.”
The federal government, Ms Ayoub and Ms Khodr were contacted for comment.
By Suzan Giuliani
The National Security Hotline was contacted at least four times over concerns about alleged terrorism financing involving a Western Sydney nday Telegraph has spoken to three people from Sydney and Melbourne who made repeated complaints to Australian authorities about charity worker Dalya Ayoub’s fundraising activities for Qawafil Al Khair and her social media posts praising Hamas, including labelling “Jihad” as “an act of worship”, after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks on Israel.
The complaints were lodged with several agencies, including Home Affairs’ National Security Hotline, eSafety Commissioner, Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), NSW Fair Trading, the Australian Taxation Office and the eSafety Commissioner.
The Sunday Telegraph has sighted at least 15 emails and screenshots of online reports documenting complaints submitted through official reporting channels.
But despite repeated warnings to authorities, Ms Ayoub, who previously lived in Bass Hill before relocating to the Middle East in early 2023, continued promoting fundraising campaigns that attracted donations from Australians.
It can also be revealed that another woman, Fatima Khodr, who lives in Melbourne, worked closely with Ms Ayoub, publicly promoting Qawafil and sharing fundraising campaigns associated with the charity since 2021.
The revelations come after a major Sunday Telegraph investigation exposed Ms Ayoub’s fundraising activities for Qawafil, which was sanctioned by the United States in January over its financial support for Hamas’s military wing.
Ms Ayoub’s own campaign, titled “Qawafil Australia / Ust. Dalya Ayoub”, displayed more than US$1 million in donations on crowd-funding platform Ensany.
A separate GoFundMe campaign created by Ms Ayoub, who has since been banned from the platform, raised more than $1.5 million.
One woman, who contacted the National Security Hotline at least four times between November 2023 and January 2026 and lodged complaints with other authorities, said she was “bewildered” that Ms Ayoub had been able to continue fundraising and publishing social media content praising Hamas.
In one complaint, the woman warned: “There are also concerns around whether any of this money is going to support terrorist activities as she openly praises acts of terrorism as ‘resistance’.”
“To me, this really exposed grave national security failures in our system,” she told The Telegraph.
“For the past three years I’ve seen multiple fundraisers where she has continued to advertise campaigns that have raised millions of dollars, with a lot of donations coming from Australians.”
In another report, seen by The Telegraph, which was dated November 13, 2023, the eSafety Commissioner advised the same woman it had reviewed 10 Instagram posts, including content describing October 7 as an “unprecedented beginning” and referring to “Jihad” as an “act of worship”.
However, eSafety said it “did not locate any material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act or material that contains detailed instruction or promotion in matters of crime or violence”.
The woman challenged the finding, pointing to videos and images she said depicted the October 7 attacks, including confronting footage from the Nova music festival massacre and armed Hamas militants entering an Israeli town.
“I can’t see how it’s in the public interest to keep this material online,” she wrote.
Another source, who made reports to Instagram about Ms Ayoub’s content, said she was “dumbfounded” that posts she believed glorified dead Hamas terrorists as “martyrs” had not been removed.
A third person, who contacted the ACNC, raised concerns after Ms Ayoub directed Australian donors to a local bank account under the name “Life Matters”, an organisation she founded in 2024.
He said he received no substantive follow-up from authorities despite raising concerns about the fundraising arrangements.
Ms Ayoub worked closely with Melbourne woman Ms Khodr, who has publicly promoted her involvement with Qawafil and shared fundraising material linked to the organisation since 2021.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ms Khodr is a qualified remedial therapist based in Melbourne.
On January 15 this year, Ms Khodr wrote on Instagram: “This day is the day where one of our precious CEO was assassinated by the occupation”, alongside a photograph of Ali Al-Maghribi, a founder of Qawafil who has documented links to Hamas.
Ms Khodr had previously included a Qawafil fundraising link in her Instagram biography, which is understood to have been changed following the announcement of US sanctions against the charity.
A federal government source told The Telegraph that authorities had received reports concerning Ms Khodr’s fundraising activities and online conduct.
Meanwhile, despite Qawafil-linked fundraising pages associated with Ms Ayoub being removed earlier this month, around the time The Telegraph began raising questions about the charity, other campaigns promoted by Ms Ayoub have continued to attract donations through the online platform Ensany.
The campaigns, some of which have attracted donations from people identifying themselves as being from Sydney and Melbourne, have raised thousands of dollars since the Qawafil links were removed.
While the newer campaigns are not explicitly listed under Qawafil, their continued operation raises questions about transparency, oversight and the scrutiny of Australian donations directed to overseas humanitarian causes.
Associate Professor Josh Roose, a Deakn University expert on religion and violent extremism, said while agencies would not disclose if someone was under investigation, it was “concerning that any fundraising allegedly linked to terrorism would be able to continue unabated”.
“It is becoming evident that charities may be a largely unwatched back door for such funding, and much more scrutiny, and the associated resources to do so, is necessary,” Dr Roose said.
Last week, in response to the allegations, Ms Ayoub’s lawyer Moustafa Kheir, from Birchgrove Legal, said his client “was not aware of alleged Hamas connections” to the charity.
“Since the US sanctions were brought to her attention she has ceased operations with all organisations and run the humanitarian projects under her own name,” Mr Kheir said.
“Ms Ayoub has only ever supported humanitarian projects – some of which had an involvement by Qawafil.
“The purpose, even prior to the genocide, has always been to assist innocent civilians and families suffering in Gaza and to provide desperately needed humanitarian aid.
“None of her activities have had anything to do with supporting armed groups financially and she has been public about every single project she raised funds for in Gaza since the genocide began.”
Meanwhile, opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam said the National Security Hotline was supposed to be a “frontline defence against terrorism”.
“It would be disastrous if Australians were reporting suspected terrorist activity and those warnings weren’t being properly investigated and actioned,” Mr Duniam said.
“Minister (Tony) Burke needs to explain exactly how these complaints were handled, whether they were referred to our law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and what steps were taken to ensure Australian donations weren’t ending up in the hands of terrorists.”
National Council of Jewish Women of Australia president Lynda Ben-Menashe said: “The e-safety, cultural safety and physical safety of every Australian is at risk unless we wake up to the real threats posed by hostile actors outside and inside our country.”
“It’s time to start listening to the people who already knew this, and take action.”
Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said: “The allegations are extremely disturbing and raise serious questions about how fundraising activities in Australia are being monitored.”
“If concerns about possible terrorism financing were repeatedly reported to the National Security Hotline, Australians deserve to know what action was taken and whether the warnings were properly investigated,” he said.
A NSW Fair Trading spokeswoman said that in late 2023, the authority received a complaint concerning charitable fundraising by Life Matters Academy and Ms Ayoub.
“NSW Fair Trading acted on that complaint and investigated the matters which resulted in a formal warning being issued to an associated holder of a charitable fundraising authority,” the spokeswoman said.
“Any allegation that funds may have been directed to Hamas is a serious matter and should be referred to the Australian Federal Police and Austrac, which are the appropriate authorities to investigate such allegations.
“NSW Fair Trading will cooperate fully with relevant law enforcement agencies and provide any information it is lawfully able to provide.”
An eSafety spokesman said it had also identified one complaint in relation to this material received through the Illegal and Restricted Content scheme in 2023.
“eSafety is unable to comment on specific details of individual complaints, however, it is important to stress the threshold for removal of material under this scheme is set high under the Online Safety Act to protect freedom of speech,” he said.
“For eSafety to require removal the material must be, or be likely to be, Refused Classification by the Australian Classification Board.
“To meet this threshold material must either promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence, or in the case of praise for terrorist activity, it must also pose a substantial risk that such praise could have the effect of leading a person to engage in terrorism. An example might include the publication of a terrorist manifesto following a terrorist attack.
“Recent experience has shown how, following appeal processes, even extreme graphic footage like that showing the Wakeley terrorist stabbing in 2024 and the shooting death of Charlie Kirk in 2025 does not meet the criteria to be considered refused classification and therefore subject to eSafety’s legal removal powers under the Online Safety Act.”
The federal government, Ms Ayoub and Ms Khodr were contacted for comment.
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