Netanyahu accuses Australian PM Albanese of 'betraying' Israel

[ad_1] Israel's prime minister accused his Australian counterpart of getting "betrayed Israel" and "deserted" Australia's Jewish group, after days of rising pressure between the 2 international locations.

Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that historical past would bear in mind Anthony Albanese "for what he's: a weak politician".

Australia barred a far-right member of Netanyahu's ruling coalition from coming into the nation on Monday, and Israel in flip revoked the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority.

Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke stated Netanyahu was "lashing out" in response to Canberra not too long ago asserting it will be a part of the UK, France and Canada in recognising a Palestinian state.

"Energy is just not measured by how many individuals you'll be able to blow up or how many individuals you'll be able to depart hungry," Burke instructed the Australian Broadcasting Company on Wednesday.

Israel's opposition chief criticised Netanyahu's remarks, branding them a "present" to the Australian chief.

Yair Lapid wrote on X: "The factor that the majority strengthens a pacesetter within the democratic world at the moment is a confrontation with Netanyahu, probably the most politically poisonous chief within the Western world.

"It's unclear why Bibi is speeding to provide the Prime Minister of Australia this present."

Diplomatic tensions flared on Monday after far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman's Australian visa was cancelled forward of a go to to the nation, the place he had been resulting from converse at occasions organised by the Australian Jewish Affiliation (AJA).

Burke told local media on the time the federal government took "a tough line" on folks looking for to "unfold division".

"In case you are coming to Australia to unfold a message of hate and division, we do not need you right here," he stated.

Final 12 months, Burke additionally denied a visa to Israel's former justice minister Ayelet Shaked, a right-wing politician who left parliament in 2022.

A number of hours after the revocation of Rothman's visa was introduced, Israel's Minister of Overseas Affairs Gideon Sa'ar stated he had instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to "rigorously study any official Australian visa software for entry to Israel".

He added in a submit on X: "Whereas antisemitism is raging in Australia, together with manifestations of violence towards Jews and Jewish establishments, the Australian authorities is selecting to gasoline it".

In current months, there have been a string of antisemitic assaults in Australia - which is dwelling to one of many world's largest populations of Holocaust survivors per capita.

On Tuesday, the AJA stated Rothman would nonetheless seem at their talking occasion nearly.

"The Jewish group will not bow right down to Tony Burke or [Foreign Minister] Penny Wong," it stated in a social media submit.

Australia introduced in early August that it will recognise a Palestinian state, with Prime Minister Albanese saying on the time that Netanyahu was "in denial" about the consequences of the war on innocent people .

"The stopping of support that we have seen after which the lack of life that we're seeing round these support distribution factors, the place folks queuing for meals and water are dropping their lives, is simply utterly unacceptable," he stated.

The state of Palestine is at the moment recognised by 147 of the UN's 193 member states, and Australia's announcement happened two weeks after comparable strikes by the UK, France and Canada.

In response, Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on the leaders of the three international locations, accusing Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney of siding with "mass murderers, rapists, child killers and kidnappers".

Greater than 62,064 folks have been killed on account of Israel's army marketing campaign since 7 October, based on the Hamas-run well being ministry.

Israel launched the offensive in response to the Hamas-led assault on 7 October, wherein about 1,200 folks had been killed and 251 others had been taken hostage.