Australian PM rejects Netanyahu’s linking of Palestine recognition to Bondi beach attack

Defence affairs - Jason Burke International security correspondent

Australia’s prime minister has rejected accusations from his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, that Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state earlier this year had contributed to Sunday’s deadly antisemitic terrorist attack on Bondi beach in Sydney.

In an interview with national broadcasters, Anthony Albanese was asked if he accepted “any link between that recognition and the massacre in Bondi”.

“No, I don’t,” Albanese said, adding: “Overwhelmingly, most of the world recognises a two-state solution as being the way forward in the Middle East.”

Fifteen Jewish people died and dozens more were injured after two local men opened fire on a crowd gathered to celebrate the religious festival of Hanukah. Both men were shot by police, one fatally.

Albanese did not directly respond to Netanyahu’s accusation that he had “replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement” when fighting antisemitism.

“This is a moment of national unity where we need to come together … We need to wrap our arms around members of the Jewish community who are going through an extraordinarily difficult period,” Albanese said. “My job is … to make it clear that Australians overwhelmingly stand with the Jewish community at this difficult time.”

Tensions between Australia and Israel have been high since August, when Israel revoked the visas of Australian diplomats in occupied Palestine, which Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, said at the time was an “unjustified reaction, following Australia’s decision to recognise Palestine”.

Australia’s government said the decision was part of a coordinated international effort to build new momentum for a two-state solution, a ceasefire to halt the bloody Israeli offensive in Gaza and the release of hostages taken by Hamas in its lethal surprise raid into Israel on 7 October 2023.

At the time, Netanyahu called the move an “absurdity” and a “reward for terrorism”.