“Zero accountability”. Non Israel synagogue shut out of Israel lobby grants

Is it suitable for an Israeli lobby group? Executive Council of Australian Jewry, Will 198 million dollars be given as a state grant during the genocide? Stephanie TranChapter 3, ECAJ research.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws reveal that the Executive Council of Australian Jews is the only organization eligible to apply for the federal government’s initial $25 million security funding package announced in the wake of the October 7 attacks.

There was no tender.

The statements come as the government’s decision to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into security funding through ECAJ, an organization with a strong history of political advocacy in Israel’s interests, comes under increasing scrutiny.

ECAJ since November 2023 $198 million security grant from the federal government.

Single eligible applicant

Internal Affairs documents It shows that Attorney General Mark Dreyfus on October 27, 2023, approved the grant guidance that sets the framework for the Program to Enhance the Security of Jewish Communities.

The documents state that ECAJ was provided with the grant guidelines and application form on October 30, 2023, and applied for the full $25 million allocation on November 6, 2023.

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The grant guidelines made it clear that no other organization could apply.

“The Australian Jewry Inc Executive Council, ABN 17 162 489 951, is the only eligible organization to apply under this grant opportunity,” the guide states.

According to the advice package prepared for Dreyfus, ECAJ’s application received an overall success score of 65 out of 100 and was judged to “represent value for money and the appropriate use of Commonwealth resources”.

Ministry officials recommended that the entire amount be given to ECAJ. Dreyfus later approved this proposal. $25 million grant ($27.5 million including GST) on November 13, 2023.

“Valuable relationships”

Officials justified the arrangement on the grounds that the ECAJ is the recognized peak body of the Jewish community in Australia and “has valued relationships with Australia’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies”.

“ECAJ was identified as the appropriate recipient as it is the recognized peak body of the Jewish community in Australia and is in a unique position to coordinate the delivery of security-related services to the Jewish community nationally,” the guidance states.

Value grant it was later increased many times and is currently worth $63.8 million.

The Ministry gave an award to ECAJ $112.2 million grant On April 22, 2026, under the same program.

Another financing of 22 million dollars was provided.”committed but not yet awarded” he said, increasing the total guarantee grants given to ECAJ to 198 million dollars.

denying genocide

Since the beginning of the genocide, ECAJ has engaged in extensive political advocacy on behalf of Israel.

ECAJ explains describes his work as “promoting support for Zionism in Australia” and says one of them objects “Strengthening the connection of Australian Jews to the State of Israel”.

According to ECAJ’s report constitutionThe organization’s goals include “seeking”.[ing] and coordinate[ing] funding from Federal, State and Local Governments” as well as “establishing[ing] and maintain[ing] Relations and close communication with government bodies to achieve their goals.

ECAJ in September 2025 condemned Report of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluding that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

“ECAJ strongly condemned the report of the so-called ‘Independent International Commission of Inquiry into the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and Israel, and rejected the report as lacking any semblance of legal rigor or moral authority,” the organization wrote.

Critics of the UN and ICJ

ECAJ also criticized The International Court of Justice’s 2024 ruling stating that it is “plausible” that Israel’s actions could amount to genocide. ECAJ said the court’s decision would “encourage terrorism”.

One column published by Sydney Morning Herald This month, ECAJ co-CEO Alex Rvychin lamented “baseless accusations of genocide that Israel uses to incite violence against all Jews.”

ECAJ in April 2026 honors an IDF sniper as a “hero”.

Dozens of children in Gaza were deliberately killed by IDF sniper fire.

One investigation The BBC World Service has identified at least 95 cases in which children were shot in the head or chest by Israeli forces. The majority of victims were under the age of 12 and often suffered no other injuries, indicating deliberate targeting.

“Zero accountability or transparency”

A president of a Melbourne synagogue, who asked to remain anonymous due to concerns about public repercussions, described his frustrating experience trying to access the funding.

“We applied for security funding during the first round of grants in 2023. We missed out and were not told why,” they said.

The congregation has been funding security guards at an annual rate of approximately $20,000 since October 2023.

The synagogue applied again in 2025, requesting assistance for security guards and additional security infrastructure.

“After hearing nothing for months, we sent them an email saying we desperately needed these upgrades and that our facility was unsafe.”

The synagogue eventually received funding for some security improvements but was denied funding for security guards.

“These grants are never announced.

There is zero accountability or transparency.

“We don’t know how much other community groups have received,” the chairman said.

“We are grateful that the government has provided this funding, but we are truly disappointed in the lack of transparency and what we have had to go through to access the funding.”

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Recommendation Consulting

The Chairman said all communication regarding the grant application was handled through Advisen Consulting.

“No one from ECAJ spoke to us. We only spoke to representatives of the consulting group Advisen.”

Recommendation Consulting It was founded in 2019 by Michael Eisman, who also serves as president of the Australian Jewish Historical Society.

The company describes itself as a “building services consultant.” Worked with the NSW Government and the Community Safety Group.

There is no public information about whether the consulting firm was hired to manage the security grants or how much the company was paid.

“Hostile environment” for non-Zionist Jewish organizations

During Senate EstimatesGreens senator David Shoebridge questioned the Department about whether Jewish organizations that disagreed with ECAJ’s political positions were effectively required to receive funding from an organization with which they had significant ideological differences.

“Some of these organizations have a very tense relationship with ECAJ,” Shoebridge said.

“You will find them representing very different segments of the Jewish community, taking directly opposing positions in the public arena.”

“When I speak to representatives of these organizations they do not claim to be represented by ECAJ in any way. Are you saying these organizations have to go to ECAJ to apply for any funding?”

“ECAJ has a grants manager who handles the application process and a board that evaluates all applications,” department official Amy Dyde responded.

A nod and a wink

Home Secretary Stephanie Foster stated that requiring organizations to apply through the ECAJ was a deliberate government decision, after Shoebridge described the regulation as a potentially “hostile environment” for some applicants.

“ECAJ is recognized as the top Jewish organization and yes, that is the decision made by the government to set up the grants that way,” Foster said.

The Jewish Council of Australia criticized the government’s characterization of the ECAJ as a peak body.

their surrender The organization wrote to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion:

“Government consultations on antisemitism are overwhelmingly conducted through legacy pro-Israel organizations (especially ECAJ, which has made it clear that it does not represent Jews critical of Israel), while progressive Jewish organizations receive no government funding and are routinely excluded from policy processes.”

unanswered questions

MWM He asked the Home Office and ECAJ whether his political advocacy activities created any actual or perceived conflict with his role as manager of a publicly funded grant scheme, what measures were in place to ensure funding decisions were taken independently, and how much public money was spent on management and consultancy fees.

They declined to comment.

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Stephanie is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. He worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where he assisted Crikey’s defense team in the high-profile libel case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. His reporting has been recognized nationally, earning him the 2021 Guardians of Democracy Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.