Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched one of his fiercest attacks yet on a Western leader, accusing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of having “betrayed Israel” and “abandoned” his country’s Jewish community.
The sharp rebuke, delivered on Tuesday, underscored the growing strain between the two governments after Canberra announced it would formally recognise a Palestinian state. Australia joined the United Kingdom, France, and Canada in a move Netanyahu described as siding with “mass murderers, rapists, baby killers and kidnappers.”
“History will remember Anthony Albanese for what he is: a weak politician,” Netanyahu declared, in remarks that drew outrage in Canberra and even criticism at home from Israel’s political opposition.
Tensions flared earlier in the week when Australia cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman, who had been scheduled to attend events organised by the Australian Jewish Association (AJA).
Immigration Minister Tony Burke defended the decision, insisting Rothman’s rhetoric risked fuelling “division” within Australian society.
“If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here,” Burke said. Rothman is expected to address the AJA virtually despite the ban.
Israel retaliated swiftly, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announcing that the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority would be revoked. He also ordered Israel’s embassy in Canberra to “carefully examine any official Australian visa application” going forward.
Sa’ar further accused the Albanese government of fuelling antisemitism, warning in a post on X that Australia’s actions came “while antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions.”
Prime Minister Albanese, however, sought to strike a measured tone, saying he would not be drawn into a war of words with Netanyahu. “I don’t take these things personally. I treat leaders of other countries with respect, I engage with them in a diplomatic way,” he told reporters in Canberra.
Immigration Minister Burke was more blunt, accusing Netanyahu of “lashing out” in frustration. “Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many people you can leave hungry,” Burke said in an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Netanyahu’s comments also sparked anger within Israel. Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the prime minister of damaging Israel’s international standing for political gain.
“The thing that most strengthens a leader in the democratic world today is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world,” Lapid wrote on X. “It is unclear why Bibi is rushing to give the Prime Minister of Australia this gift.”
Lapid’s remarks reflect growing unease inside Israel over Netanyahu’s increasingly combative foreign policy style, which has alienated several of Israel’s traditional allies.
Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state was the latest move in a wave of recognitions by Western countries frustrated with Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the lack of progress towards a two-state solution.
Albanese justified the recognition by pointing to the dire humanitarian situation. “The stopping of aid that we’ve seen and then the loss of life that we’re seeing around those aid distribution points, where people queuing for food and water are losing their lives, is just completely unacceptable,” he said earlier this month.
Currently, 147 of the United Nations’ 193 member states recognise the state of Palestine. For Australia, a close US ally and home to one of the world’s largest populations of Holocaust survivors per capita, the move was especially significant signaling a break with its historically cautious approach to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
The row also comes at a sensitive time domestically. Jewish communities in Australia, already rattled by a spike in antisemitic incidents since the Gaza war began, now find themselves caught in the middle of an escalating diplomatic feud.
The Australian Jewish Association condemned Burke’s handling of Rothman’s visa, insisting that “the Jewish community won’t bow down to Tony Burke or Penny Wong.”
At the same time, pro-Palestinian groups have praised Albanese’s stance, arguing that recognition of Palestinian statehood is a necessary step towards peace.
Analysts say the dispute could have broader consequences for Israel’s relations with Western democracies. Netanyahu’s attacks on Albanese echo his recent confrontations with leaders in London, Paris, and Ottawa all of whom have faced similar accusations of betrayal for recognising Palestine.
While Israel’s traditional allies, including the United States and Germany, have yet to follow suit, there is growing pressure within Western capitals to reconsider support for Netanyahu’s government amid mounting civilian deaths in Gaza.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, more than 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its offensive in response to the October 7 Hamas attack, which left about 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 taken hostage.
For now, both sides appear entrenched.
Netanyahu has framed Australia’s move as a historic betrayal, while Albanese has signaled he will continue pursuing what he calls a “balanced and respectful” foreign policy approach.
Yet behind the fiery rhetoric lies a deeper shift: Australia’s recognition of Palestine marks a new phase in the country’s foreign policy and could embolden other middle powers to follow suit. For Israel, already facing diplomatic isolation in parts of Europe, the fallout with Canberra represents another crack in its traditional alliance network.
As one Israeli commentator put it this week, Netanyahu may have won applause from his far-right base, but at the cost of losing yet another Western partner.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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