Netanyahu Says Australia PM Fuelled Antisemitism Before Terror Attack
Senior Israeli officials have accused Australia’s left-wing government of failing to meaningfully combat anti-Semitism ahead of the deadly terrorist attack on Sydney’s Jewish community in Bondi on Sunday.
Several gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Sunday, killing at least 11 people and injuring 29 others, including a rabbi, a police officer and an Israeli citizen, in what is being described as a terrorist attack. One of the alleged attackers was reportedly killed during the incident, while the other remains in custody.
One of the shooters was identified by ABC News as Naveed Akram. Described only as having lived in the multicultural Sydney suburb of Bonnyrigg, police are yet to confirm his nationality, ethnicity or motive. Police also did not reveal at the time of writing whether Akram was the slain shooter or whether he had been taken into custody.
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon suggested one of the gunmen was known to police before the attack, but said “the person we know has very, very little knowledge for police… So he’s not someone we would have automatically looked out for at that time.”
After the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said according to the Israel Timesthat he had sent a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in August, accusing the left-wing leader of adding fuel to “this anti-Semitic fire” by recognizing Palestine as a state.
“It encourages the hatred of Jews that now invades your streets. Anti-Semitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders remain silent; it recedes when leaders act. I call on you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with determination,” Netanyahu said in his writing.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also took aim at the Canberra government, saying that while the events were tragic, he was “not surprised”.
“Things were imminent and we saw a wave of anti-Semitism in Australia, as well as a very weak response from Australian leaders,” he said. “We have said time and time again that this is going to happen, but little has been done. We must fight anti-Semitism so this can never happen again.”
Albanese was also criticized by Bennet for not mentioning Islamism as a motive for Sunday’s attack, saying: “We all know what it is. We all know the Jewish community is under attack.”
“I’m not saying he (Albanian) has to talk about the particular perpetrators, even though there is information gathering about them, but there is a context here. And it’s very symbolic of the last two years and the weakness and turning a blind eye to evil. Evil happens when good people stand aside and allow evil to happen.”
Similar criticism of Albanese’s statement was also made by the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who said: “The Australian Prime Minister’s shameful statement never mentioned that this was a jihadist attack on Jews on the first day of Hanukkah. I hope he is ashamed of last year’s anti-Semitic statements.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said FOX News reporter Peter Doocy said his message to American Jews as they prepare for Hanukkah is: “Be proud of who you are – celebrate proudly.”
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