Australia and Israel are trading diplomatic blows with each side taking actions against the other’s officials.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a harsh statement, accusing Australian Prime Minister 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 said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese betrayed Israel and turned his back on Australian Jews. (Anna Moneymaker/Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)
“Recently, the Jewish community in Australia has experienced a surge in antisemitism. When they invited a prominent Israeli politician to meet with some victims and assess the damage, the Australian government responded by barring him just hours before his departure,” AJA CEO Robert Gregory told Fox News Digital.
“Key figures in the Australian government were radical left activists in their earlier days, and their policies are creating division and antisemitism. It’s unfortunate to watch the Australian government discard its long-standing friendship with Israel. Many Australians are hoping the United States will address or act on the antisemitism crisis occurring in Australia,” Gregory added.
In reaction, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced he would cancel visas for Australian delegates to the Palestinian Authority. He also instructed Israel’s embassy in Canberra to “thoroughly evaluate any official Australian visa applications.”
“As antisemitism is rampant in Australia, with instances of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is opting to inflame it with baseless claims, suggesting that visits by Israeli figures would disturb public order and affect Australia’s Muslim population,” Sa’ar posted on X. “This is both disgraceful and unacceptable!”
AJA praised Sa’ar’s decision, saying that “The disgusting antisemitism from the Albanese government deserves a strong response.”
A member of the Jewish community recovers a Torah scroll from the Adass Israel Synagogue on Dec. 6, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
Australia’s Jews have seen antisemitism surge since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. According to an annual report released by Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, the country saw 2,062 anti-Jewish incidents. This marked an increase of 316% since its report of the previous year — Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023 — when there were 495 recorded incidents. ECAJ has yet to release a report for 2025.
The report documents assaults, verbal abuse, vandalism and other incidents. When broken down into categories, anti-Jewish physical assaults rose by 491% since the previous report and verbal abuse increased by 230% over the same period.
Fox News Digital reached out to AJA and Albanese’s office but did not receive responses in time for publication.
