‘Weak’ PM condemned by Israeli leader as stoush heats up
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed “weak” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in an extraordinary personal attack.
Source: AAP
Netanyahu posted the scathing comment on social media platform X on Tuesday night (AEST) as a diplomatic stoush between Australia and Israel escalates.
“History will remember Albanese for what he is: a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” wrote Netanyahu.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated since Australia’s decision last week to recognise the state of Palestine.
Australia has also blocked significant Israeli figures from entering the country, triggering a visa row.
Israel’s Opposition Leader Yair Lapid hit out at Netanyahu over his attack on Albanese.
“The thing that strengthens a leader in the democratic world today most is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world,” he posted on X.
“It is unclear why Bibi is in such a hurry to give the Australian Prime Minister this gift.”
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Australia’s Opposition Leader Sussan Ley posted a comment on the worsening diplomatic relations.
She said any prime minister of Australia deserved respect, but she accused Albanese of mismanaging international relationships.
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On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong responded to the visa row, saying the government had a right to safeguard communities and protect “all Australians from hate and harm”.
“At a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever, the Netanyahu government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution,” said Wong.
“This is an unjustified reaction following Australia’s decision to recognise Palestine.”
The Australian diplomats banned by Israel were tasked with helping Australia engage with the Palestinian Authority.
The federal government’s recognition of Palestine is tied to commitments made by the authority, including an assurance that terror group Hamas plays no role in a future state.
Wong said Australia would continue to contribute to “international momentum to a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and release of the hostages” and would always take decisive action against anti-Semitism.
The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Israel’s “arbitrary” cancellations.
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It stressed it would continue to deal with the Australian diplomats, saying Israel had no legal basis to block citizens of a third nation from entering Palestinian territory.
Australia earlier had denied far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman entry into the country for a speaking tour after provocative comments, including branding children in Gaza as enemies.
Albanese last Monday confirmed Australia’s intention to recognise Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September.
The decision came after more than 100,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to protest the war in Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused the Australian government of fuelling anti-Semitism as he announced the visa cancellations on social media on Monday.
“This follows Australia’s decisions to recognise a ‘Palestinian state’ and against the backdrop of Australia’s unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures, including former minister Ayelet Shaked and … (Member of the Knesset) Simcha Rothman,” Sa’ar posted on X.
Ley said she regretted the deterioration of the relationship between the Australian and Israeli governments.
“That is something all Australians should be very sad about today,” she said in Sydney.
Australia should be supporting Israel as a “liberal democracy” but had not demonstrated that in recent weeks, Ley said, calling on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to explain his decision to reject Rothman’s visa.
The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council also called the move “deeply troubling”.
Australia has also denied entry to former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked, based on anti-Palestinian comments, and Israeli advocate Hillel Fuld.
Canberra has further imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers, including travel bans.
The federal government has also previously denied entry to people who have a history of antisemitism. They include rapper Kanye West, after he released a song praising Hitler, and Lebanese pro-Hezbollah influencer Hussain Makke.
-with AAP
