Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remark, suggesting that Australia had effectively paid a price for recognising the Palestinian state soon after two gunmen shot dead 15 people celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah in Sydney, has not gone down well, as, following the Australian Prime Minister’s response, former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also urged Netanyahu to stay away from their politics.
The controversy arose after Netanyahu linked the deadly shooting to Australia’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood earlier this year, arguing that the move had encouraged antisemitism in the period leading up to the attack.
Turnbull, responding to questions from a British television channel, criticised the Israeli Prime Minister for attempting to draw a connection between Australia’s foreign policy decisions and an act of domestic terrorism, while stressing that such commentary was neither appropriate nor constructive, according to a report published in Arab News.
Turnbull also defended the Albanese government’s decision to recognise Palestine in August, noting that the move aligned Australia with a large number of Western and non-Western nations amid growing international concern over the ongoing war in Gaza, and reiterating Australia’s long-standing support for a two-state solution as the only viable path to peace in the region.
He further emphasised that Australia’s success as a multicultural society depended on preventing overseas conflicts from being imported into domestic political and social life, warning that attempts to link international disputes to local violence risked undermining social cohesion.
Prime Minister Albanese similarly dismissed Netanyahu’s remarks when questioned about any alleged link between his government’s approach to Palestine and the Bondi Beach attack, while underscoring that global support for a two-state solution remained overwhelming and that the immediate priority was national unity and solidarity with the Jewish community during a period of profound grief.
The attack, which was carried out by a father and son who opened fire on crowds gathered for the Hanukkah celebration, has deeply shaken Australia, with authorities identifying the attackers as Sajid Akram and his son Naveed and stating that they were motivated by Daesh ideology.