You betrayed Israel: Netanyahu assails Australian PM
On Tuesday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, of betraying Israel.
'History will remember Albanese for what he is: a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews,' Netanyahu posted on X.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politicianwho betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 19, 2025
The remarks followed Australia's decision to recognise the state of Palestine and bar entry to several Israeli figures, including far-right politician Simcha Rothman, who previously described children in Gaza as enemies.
Israel retaliated by revoking the visas of three Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused Canberra of fuelling anti-Semitism as he announced the visa cancellations on social media.
החלטתי לשלול את אשרות השהיה של נציגי אוסטרליה לרשות הפלסטינית. הודעה בענין נמסרה לפני שעה קלה לשגריר אוסטרליה בישראל. בנוסף, הנחיתי את שגרירות ישראל בקנברה לבחון היטב כל בקשת אשרה רשמית אוסטרלית לכניסה לישראל. זאת, בעקבות החלטות אוסטרליה להכיר ב״מדינה פלסטינית״ וכן על רקע אי…
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) August 18, 2025
Meanwhile, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), which describes itself as the peak body for the Australian-Jewish community, urged restraint. "Calm heads need to take control of the situation otherwise there will be a risk to some $2 billion in bilateral trade. There are real-life consequences here and we want to see the countries work through any issues before things get out of hand," ECAJ co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin remarked.
The Prime Minister framed the recognition of Palestine as a defeat for Hamas because of its violent opposition to a two-state solution and desire to replace Israel with a Palestinian state from the river to the sea. He is right about Hamas's intentions but wrong about how they…
— Alex Ryvchin (@AlexRyvchin) August 13, 2025
The diplomatic row comes as pressure mounts in Australia over the war in Gaza. More than 100,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge last week demanding an end to the conflict.
Gaza's Health Ministry has reported 62,004 dead and 156,230 wounded since October 7, 2023, with more than 10,000 still missing. It also said famine has killed 263 people, including 112 children.
Government and UN assessments further estimated that 88% of Gaza's buildings have been destroyed. Losses are valued at more than $62 billion, while Israeli forces currently control about 77% of the territory.
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