Penrith Panthers star Mitch Kenny has hit out at the Australian Government and its support of Israel after he was asked about his decision to attend a Pro-Palestine march earlier this year.
The three-time premiership winner was one of 90,000 people who marched over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on August 3 in support of Palestinians.
Kenny, who was with fellow premiership-winning teammate Izack Tago on the day, was speaking on Josh Mansour’s Undisputed podcast when the host asked him about the march.
‘We were trying to hold our government responsible, or at least bring their attention to (the fact) that a lot of the population don’t like the fact that Australia is involved in the F35 fighter jet supply chain,’ Kenny said.
Australia is involved in the F-35 fighter jet supply chain through its participation in the global production of parts, with more than 70 Australian companies contributing to the aircraft’s production and sustainment.
While some Australian-made components are supplied to the global supply chain and parts have been shipped to Israel, the government maintains that the parts exported are ‘non-lethal’.
Penrith Panthers star Mitch Kenny said the Australian Government was compliant in the genocide of Palestinians
Kenny and fellow Panthers star Izak Tago were at a Pro-Palestine rally in August
The supply of parts to Israel has led to controversy and calls for an arms embargo, with critics questioning the ‘non-lethal’ claim and the government’s lack of transparency on military exports.
In the wake of findings from the UN commission of inquiry that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, Australia’s role in the programme has come under renewed scrutiny.
Kenny told Mansour he’d thought long about the issue.
‘I get that that’s a very complex thing and it’s not easy just to click your fingers and pull out of, but the reality is that our government, as a middle power, is compliant in the genocide,’ he said.
‘I think, if you’ve thought about this thing at all, you’ll come to the same conclusion that we don’t want to be a country that is involved in dropping bombs on innocent men, women and children.’
Aussies online praised Kenny’s stance.
‘My new favourite NRL player, respect Mitch Kenny,’ one person wrote on X.
‘Am I in love with Mitch Kenny now? Yes, yes I am,’ another said.
Kenny is a three-time premiership winner with the Penrith Panthers and says his stance has been censored by certain sections of the media
Kenny also told a story to Mansour about his support for the people of Palestine being censored by a major pay TV network.
‘I don’t mind bringing this up,’ he told Mansour.
‘I was doing a cross live with Fox League from my house not too long ago and I wore a ‘Free Palestine’ shirt and right before I went on air, the guy who was in my house who set it up got a phone call and he didn’t say anything and I saw when the shot aired they cropped my t-shirt out of it.’
‘Are you joking?’ Mansour asked.
‘That was something that probably left a little bit of a poor taste in my mouth and I get it, Fox, and that sort of media conglomerate and where their loyalties lie,’ Kenny told Mansour.
‘It’s something I’m willing to stand on and it’s something I care about.
‘There’s a few social issues that I think, as you get a little bit older, you care less what people think about you and you’re a bit more willing to be authentic.’
More Aussies congratulated Kenny and his brave stance and were not too happy about his thoughts being censored.
‘Did not expect Mitch to be such an open minded and well-spoken man. Loved his response to what FoxNRL did, too. That speaks volumes of his maturity. He’s just made a huge fan in me,’ one person wrote.
‘Massive respect to Mitch Kenny here for speaking out against genocide and speaking up against the media’s attempt to silence criticism. You can tell he’s done the research and speaks with real compassion and clarity,’ another said.
Daily Mail contacted Fox Sports for comment.
