Optus and its parent company Singtel are in breach of their own human rights obligations over sponsorship of an Israel business lobby, according to a grievance filed by human rights lawyer Benedict Coyne.
Optus is a platinum sponsor of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce (AICC), which is linked to what the International Court of Justice case for ‘plausible genocide’ in Gaza. There has been no response by Optus as yet to the complaint, or to questions posed by MWM.
Associates of the AICC are involved with funding illegal settlements in the West Bank and AICC is associated with Israeli companies linked with war crimes in Gaza such as Elbit Systems. Coyne says Optus is breaching its own commitments to human rights under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).
Investigation: elite Australian big business group monetises Israeli war machine
Michael West established Michael West Media in 2016 to focus on journalism of high public interest, particularly the rising power of corporations over democracy. West was formerly a journalist and editor with Fairfax newspapers, a columnist for News Corp and even, once, a stockbroker.