Netanyahu links Sydney attack to Australia’s Palestine policy
The attack at Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people and injured dozens, involved two gunmen.
Police shot one of the attackers, reportedly the elder member of a father-and-son pair, while a local Muslim man was widely praised for tackling and disarming the other assailant.
Netanyahu claimed that the violence was a consequence of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s policies, accusing the Australian leader of “promoting and encouraging anti-Semitism in Australia.” He said he had warned Canberra months earlier that endorsing Palestinian statehood could have such repercussions.
Australia formally recognized Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, joining other nations seeking to pressure Israel amid its military campaign in Gaza. Netanyahu has long vowed to block the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“I wrote: ‘Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the anti-Semitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets,’” he said. The Israeli leader described the shooting as the result of Canberra’s “weakness” and “inaction” in addressing the “cancer” of anti-Semitism.
Albanese, meanwhile, focused on domestic gun policy in response to the attack, advocating stricter firearm restrictions. Police reported that the deceased suspect legally owned six guns, which were allegedly used during the assault.
The Bondi Beach massacre is Australia’s deadliest mass shooting since the 1996 Port Arthur attack, which killed 35 people.
The incident comes against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza, launched after the October 2023 Hamas attacks. The campaign has also involved strikes in Lebanon and Yemen and brief confrontations with Iran, with Gaza authorities reporting a death toll exceeding 70,000 despite a US-backed ceasefire in October.
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