Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday laid some of the blame for the horrific Bondi Beach terrorist attack in Australia at the feet of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who “emboldened those who menace Australian Jews” by supporting Palestinian statehood, even after the October 7 atrocities.
At least 15 people were killed on Sunday when a father and son team of jihadi terrorists opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. The youngest confirmed victim of the attack was a ten-year-old girl.
The shooters targeted a “Hanukkah by the Sea” event near a children’s playground with over a thousand attendees. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the attack was “designed to target Sydney’s Jewish community.” Police officials said two flags of the Islamic State (ISIS) were found in the attackers’ vehicle.
Australian media have identified the terrorists as 50-year old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram. Sajid Akram was a licensed firearm holder who arrived in Australia on a student visa in 1998 and obtained both permanent residency and a firearms license. Albanese confirmed on Sunday that Naveed Akram has been a person of interest to Australian intelligence since 2019, but was not deemed an imminent threat. Sajid was killed during his terrorist attack on Bondi Beach, while Naveed is in police custody.
“On August 17, about 4 months ago, I sent Prime Minister Albanese of Australia a letter in which I gave him warning that the Australian government’s policy was promoting and encouraging antisemitism in Australia,” Netanyahu said at a government meeting on Sunday.
In the letter, Netanyahu told Albanese that his call for a Palestinian state “pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.”
“It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets,” he said.
“Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent; it retreats when leaders act. I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve,” Netanyahu told Albanese in the letter.
The Israeli prime minister said Albanese ignored his advice, “replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement,” and “did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia.”
Australia was one of several nations that unilaterally recognized a “Palestinian state” in September, a move criticized as “performative” by the United States and dangerous by Israeli leaders.
The terrorists of Hamas, on the other hand, applauded Australia for its “political courage and a commitment to the values of justice and the right of peoples to self-determination.”
“We call on all countries, especially those that believe in freedom and human dignity, to follow Australia’s example and translate their positions into practical steps to support the Palestinian people and end their suffering under occupation,” Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef said.
Albanese rejected Netanyahu’s criticism as an “unfounded and dangerous shortcut” on Monday, accusing the Israeli prime minister of attempting to politicize a tragedy. Albanese also restated his support for Palestinian statehood.
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