Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he always treats the leaders of other countries with respect. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a personal swipe at Anthony Albanese, calling the Australian Prime Minister a weak leader who has betrayed Israel.
In response, Mr Albanese said he treats the leaders of other countries with respect and he did so with Mr Netanyahu when discussing Palestinian statehood.
“My job is to represent the Australian national interest, and I think very much that Australians want two things to happen,” the Prime Minister said.
“One, they want people to stop killing each other, whether it be Israelis or Palestinians.
“The second thing that they want is the conflict to not be brought here.”
Mr Albanese recently announced his intention to have Australia formally recognise Palestine and has publicly stated that Mr Netanyahu is in denial over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The two leaders recently spoke over the phone about that issue.
The Australian Government has also denied a visa to far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman.
Israel’s Prime Minister took to social media overnight to launch a stinging attack on his Australian counterpart.
“History will remember Albanese for what he is: a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” Mr Netanyahu posted on X.
The barb drew an immediate reaction from Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, who also tweeted a comment – but his was to criticise Mr Netanyahu (who is known as Bibi).
“The thing that strengthens a leader in the democratic world today most is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world,” Mr Lapid posted.
“It is unclear why Bibi is in such a hurry to give the Australian Prime Minister this gift.”
Australia’s Opposition Leader Sussan Ley agreed the Netanyahu post was poor form, but also suggested it was Mr Albanese who had some explaining to do.
“Regardless of which party is in power, the Prime Minister of Australia deserves respect,” she said in a statement.
“But respect is a two-way street.
“Anthony Albanese has mismanaged international relationships to the point where he now finds himself at the centre of a troubling diplomatic incident.
“This is a direct consequence of bad decisions he and his government have taken that do not advance Australia’s interests.
“It is up to Anthony Albanese to explain how he is going to repair this relationship, which is now in tatters as a result of his failures of leadership.”
The Israeli Prime Minister has also reportedly written to Mr Albanese to criticise his imminent recognition of Palestine as “appeasement” that will “pour fuel on the antisemitic fire”.
Government ministers, however, have lined up to defend Mr Albanese, saying the Prime Minister was showing strength and that Mr Netanyahu was wrong to make the personal slur on social media.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the Israeli PM was “lashing out” at Australia, but the Federal Government was standing firm.
“It’s happened to a number of countries that have come forward saying they’ll be recognising a Palestinian state,” Mr Burke said during an ABC Radio interview.
“There’s been a lashing out against the UK, against France, against Canada, against Norway, against Ireland, against Spain … Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many people you can leave hungry.
“Strength is much better measured by what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has done, which is when there’s a decision we know Israel won’t like, he goes straight to Benjamin Netanyahu, he has the conversation, he says exactly what we’re intending to do and has the chance for the objections to be made person to person.
“And then, having heard them, makes the public announcement and does what needs to be done.”
Housing Minister Clare O’Neil also came to the PM’s defence, describing Mr Netanyahu’s tweet as “disappointing”, while Mr Albanese had been “unfailingly polite” with all world leaders.
“These comments are disappointing, but the Australian Government’s not going to get into a tit-for-tat here,” she told Seven.
“I know the Israeli Prime Minister has had similar things to say about other global leaders with whom he has a disagreement.
“This kind of diplomacy is never effective, and that’s why the Australian Government doesn’t engage.
“People are watching from afar but seeing many innocent people lose their lives and, in particular, children who are subjected to forced starvation and violence in a war in which they have no blame and no part.”
