Latest news with #Israel-Australia
Sky News AU
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Australian Jewish groups branding Netanyahu's attack on PM as ‘unhelpful'
Liberal Senator Dave Sharma discusses Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to 'intervene' in Australian domestic politics. On Wednesday, the Israel-Australia relationship hit a new low after the turmoil following the Albanese government's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Mr Netanyahu called Mr Albanese 'weak' and accused him of abandoning Jewish Australians. 'You have already seen the reaction from organised parts of the Australian Jewish community saying they find this incredibly unhelpful,' Mr Sharma said.
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Australians ‘stuck' with a government failing on antisemitism: Chris Kenny
Sky News host Chris Kenny says Australians are 'stuck' with a government which is failing on antisemitism and addressing the issues of the wider Jewish community. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared he treats leaders of other countries with respect, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him 'weak'. The Israel-Australia relationship has fallen to pieces in the weeks since the Albanese government decided to recognise Palestinian statehood ahead of a peace deal.
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘It's all true': Pauline Hanson praises Netanyahu's ‘rebuke' of Albanese
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has chimed in on Benjamin Netanyahu's 'well-defined rebuke' of Anthony Albanese – claiming the PM has been 'put in his place'. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared he treats leaders of other countries with respect, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him 'weak'. The Israel-Australia relationship has fallen to pieces in the weeks since the Albanese government decided to recognise Palestinian statehood ahead of a peace deal.
Sky News AU
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
The 'best way' for Anthony Albanese to make amends with Benjamin Netanyahu laid out by Jewish Liberal MP Julian Leeser
The path for Anthony Albanese to make amends with Netanyahu has been laid out by senior Jewish Liberal MP Julian Leeser, after Albanese was called a 'weak man' by Israel's Prime Minister. On Wednesday, the Israel-Australia relationship hit a new low after the turmoil following the Albanese government's decision to recognise Palestinian statehood. Mr Netanyahu called Mr Albanese 'weak' and accusing him of abandoning Jewish Australians. While Mr Albanese downplayed any personal offence, noting that Mr Netanyahu has made similar remarks about other leaders, Mr Leeser told Sky News it was 'sad' the relations between the two countries had 'got to this point' under Labor. 'Australia was there from the foundation of the modern state of Israel. We were there when Australian troops were part of the charge of the (Australian) Light Horse at Beersheba. We were the first nation to vote for Israel in the United Nations at its founding,' he said. 'To be in a situation where we've got a friend, an ally and a security partner with whom we've got relations, they've deteriorated to this point, is a poor reflection on the way in which this government has handled the foreign policy of the country.' Mr Leeser said if the Prime Minister wanted to make amends with Netanyahu and repair Australia's relationship with Israel, he should implement Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism Jillian Siegel's recommendations. 'That's the best way that he can rebut the criticisms that Mr Netanyahu has made of him,' Mr Leeser said. Asked if it was Australia that changed or Netanyahu, considering the Israeli Prime Minister made similar criticisms against Canada, the UK and France for their recognition of Palestine announcements, Mr Leeser insisted the answer was Australia. 'I think Australia has changed. Australia's policy has changed in this regard. Ever since the Albanese government came to office, they have walked away from traditional policy in relation to Israel,' he said. 'You'll remember the ham-fisted way in which they changed the capital of Israel. You've seen various votes at the United Nations. We've seen the funding of UNRWA. And now we've seen this move for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.' Mr Leeser said Mr Albanese had 'lots of questions to answer' about how he could hold the Palestinian authorities to the conditions tied to Australia's recognition of Palestine and what he would do if Hamas was elected in the West Bank. 'It's Australian foreign policy that's changed. I lament that we've got to this point,' he said. Mr Leeser said Australia differed from France, the UK and Canada in that it was one of a small number of countries that had stood with Israel against 'international pylons', but since Mr Albanese was elected that 'ceased to be the case." The Jewish MP said Australia was for a two-state solution but said other issues needed to come before Palestinian recognition. 'In relation to what's happening in Israel with the settlements, we've always been clear about this. We are for a two-state solution and the desire to put some of these settlements in place by some of the ministers in the Israeli government is because they don't want to see the two-state solution and therefore we do not support the settlements,' Mr Leeser said. 'We believe that issues around settlements and borders about the final status of places like Jerusalem and other issues are really matters that need to come and be discussed and put on the table and resolved before we start talking about whether we can recognise the Palestinians.'
Sky News AU
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stresses ‘respect' for world leaders after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls him weak
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has maintained he treats leaders with 'respect' after his Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke suggested Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw strength in blowing people up. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared he treats leaders of other countries with respect, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him 'weak'. The Israel-Australia relationship has fallen to pieces in the weeks since the Albanese government decided to recognise Palestinian statehood ahead of a peace deal. This led Mr Netanyahu to calling Mr Albanese 'weak' and accusing him of abandoning Jewish Australians. Mr Albanese has downplayed personal offence, noting that Mr Netanyahu has made similar remarks about other leaders. 'I treat leaders of other countries with respect and I engage with them in a diplomatic way,' he told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday. 'I don't take these things personally… I engage with people diplomatically. He (Mr Netanyahu) has had similar things to say about other leaders. 'What I say is that Israel, of course, increasingly, there is global concern because people want to see an end to the cycle of violence that we have seen for far too long.' — Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 19, 2025 The remarks were made after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke made extraordinary comments about Mr Netanyahu, saying he conflated strength with violence. 'Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up, or how many children you can leave hungry,' Mr Burke told ABC RN on Wednesday. 'Strength is much better measured by exactly what prime minister Anthony Albanese has done.' The Albanese government recently cancelled the visa of Israeli MP Simcha Rothman over concerns his presence could spark counter-protests in Australia. Israel then revoked visas of Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority in a move which Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said was 'unjustified'. Mr Netanyahu further escalated the row in a letter to Mr Albanese, accusing Australia of 'pouring fuel on this antisemitic fire', urging action against antisemitism. 'It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement… antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent. It retreats when leaders act,' Mr Netanyahu said in the letter. It was an unprecedented letter from the highest level of the Israeli government to Australia, which has in the past been a strong ally of the democratic Jewish nation. Mr Netanyahu outlined several recent incidents of antisemitism that have plagued the Australian Jewish community. 'In June, vandals defaced a historic Melbourne synagogue with graffiti praising Iran and calling to 'Free Palestine',' Mr Netanyahu wrote. 'In July, arsonists targeted the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation during Shabbat dinner, forcing twenty worshippers to flee for their lives.' Mr Netanyahu ended his personally-signed letter with a final comment that said: 'History will not forgive hesitation. It will honour action.' The letter comes after escalating diplomatic tensions between the Albanese government and Israel.
