Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, has been unresponsive to the requests from Australian Jewish organizations to ease the tensions in his dispute with Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister. Netanyahu’s ongoing criticism of Albanese has led to a mounting feud between the two leaders. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) has characterized Netanyahu’s attack as “inflammatory and provocative” and a “clumsy intervention” that is affecting Australia’s Jewish community. ECAJ has correspondence with both leaders, criticizing their behavior and urging a resolution through diplomacy rather than public grandstanding. Nevertheless, during an interview with Sky News, Netanyahu labeled Albanese as “weak” and accused him of showing weakness when confronted with Hamas terrorists. Albanese, for his part, stated that he would not take Netanyahu’s remarks personally and emphasized the importance of diplomatic communication.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Netanyahu’s criticism of Australia and France as “unjustifiable and hostile to peace.” This recent exchange is part of a larger conflict between Australia and Israel, fueled by Australia’s pledge to recognize a Palestinian state and its strong condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Netanyahu has been accused by Albanese of ignoring the suffering of Gazan civilians, a point of contention that has exacerbated the diplomatic tension between the nations. The refusal of a visa for a far-right Israeli politician and subsequent tit-for-tat actions have further inflamed relations. Jewish organizations in Australia have expressed concern over this diplomatic dispute, cautioning that the Jewish community should not bear the brunt of the political quarrel between two leaders who are catering to their respective audiences. They emphasize that accusations of antisemitism should be taken seriously and not used as political tools.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/21/australian-pm-albanese-forever-tarnished-netanyahu-says
