Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent Anthony Albanese a letter this week accusing him of ‘pouring fuel on the antisemitism fire’ – days before he accused the PM of ‘abandoning Australia’s Jews’. 

In the letter, Netanyahu warns Albanese must change course in confronting the ‘alarming rise in antisemitism in Australia’ by the Jewish New Year on September 23, 2025. 

The letter does not spell out the consequences should the Prime Minister not heed his warning.  

On Tuesday evening, Netanyahu took to social media to denounce Albanese as ‘weak’ and claimed he had ‘betrayed Israel’ – in an astonishing attack by a foreign country on on an Australian leader. 

He wrote: ‘History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.’ 

The attack follows Israel’s decision to revoke the visas of Australian diplomats who engage with the Palestinian Authority. 

This was in retaliation for Australia’s announcement to recognise Palestine as a state and its cancellation of visas for several far-right Israeli politicians.

Following Netanyahu’s comments, Home Affairs minister Tony Burke hit back on Wednesday morning. ‘Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many people you can leave hungry,’ Burke said.

‘Strength is much better measured by what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done, which is when there’s a decision we know Israel won’t like he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu.’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a letter (pictured) to Australian PM Anthony Albanese

Netanyahu called for Albanese (pictured) to ‘replace weakness with action’ and ‘appeasement with resolve’ by supporting Israel

Before the public attack on Australia’s prime minister, Netanyahu had sent Albanese a strongly worded letter on August 17, condemning him for failing to address what he described as an ‘epidemic’ of antisemitism that had ‘intensified’ under his leadership.

‘Prime Minister, 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, and to do so by a clear date: the Jewish New Year, September 23, 2025,’ Mr Netanyahu writes in the letter.

The Israeli PM claimed Australia’s announcement to support a move to recognise a state of Palestine ‘rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas’s refusal to free the hostages’, ’emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets.’

‘It is not diplomacy, it is appeasement,’ Netanyahu wrote in the letter. 

‘Following Hamas’s savage attack on the people of Israel on October 7, 2023, pro-Hamas extremists and left-wing radicals began a campaign of intimidation, vandalism and violence against Jews across the free world,’ Mr Netanyahu wrote to Mr Albanese. 

‘In Australia, that campaign has intensified under your watch.’ 

He went on to highlight several acts of anti-semitism against the Jewish community in Australia. 

‘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.

On August 11, Albanese announced Australia would support a move to recognise a state of Palestine at next month’s United Nations assembly (pictured, a woman in Gaza on Tuesday)

Netanyahu (pictured) claimed Australia had suffered an ‘epidemic’ of anti-Semitism which ‘intensified’ under Albanese’s leadership

‘That same night, masked rioters stormed an Israeli-owned restaurant in central Melbourne, destroying property, hurling furniture and shouting ‘Death to the IDF’. These are not isolated incidents. This is an epidemic.’

For examples of how Albanese could support Israel, Netanyahu pointed to the US, and went on to praise president Donald Trump. 

‘As President Trump has shown, antisemitism can and must be confronted,’ he states.

‘The President is protecting the civil rights of American Jews, enforcing the law, protecting public order and prosecuting antisemitic crimes. He has also deported Hamas sympathizers and revoked the visas of foreign students who incite violence against Jews.’

At the end of the tense letter, Netanyahu told Albanese: ‘History will not forgive hesitation. It will honour action.’ 

On Monday, it emerged that Australia had revoked the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman over some of his provocative comments including describing children in Gaza as enemies.

Australia has also denied entry to former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked, based on anti-Palestinian comments, and Israeli advocate Hillel Fuld.

In response, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the visas of Australia’s representatives to the Palestinian Authority had been revoked.

He also instructed the Israel Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry into Israel.

The diplomatic tit-for-tat prompted Foreign Minister Penny Wong to accuse Benjamin Netanyahu of ‘isolating Israel’.