Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a blistering indictment of the Australian government on Sunday, directly blaming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s policies for the unchecked spread of antisemitism that culminated in the deadly terror attack on Jews in Sydney.
Speaking at a government meeting in Dimona, Netanyahu said he had personally warned Albanese months ago that Australia was on a dangerous trajectory. That warning, he said, was ignored.
“On August 17, about four months ago, I sent Prime Minister Albanese a letter in which I gave him warning that the Australian government’s policy was promoting and encouraging antisemitism in Australia,” Netanyahu said. “Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets.”
“Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent; it retreats when leaders act,” he said. “I called upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve.”
Instead, Netanyahu charged, the Australian government responded with inaction.
“You replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement,” he said. “Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You did nothing to curb the cancer cells that were growing inside your country. You took no action. You let the disease spread — and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today.”
The prime minister noted that while a civilian intervened to stop one of the attackers, that heroism underscored the absence of decisive government action.
“We saw an action of a brave man — turns out a Muslim brave man, and I salute him — that stopped one of these terrorists from killing innocent Jews,” Netanyahu said. “But it requires the action of your government, which you are not taking.”
“History will not forgive hesitation and weakness,” he said. “It will honor action and strength.”
Expanding beyond Australia, Netanyahu framed the attack as part of a broader assault on Western civilization, arguing that Jews are targeted not only for who they are, but for what they represent.
“They’re not only trying to annihilate us,” he said. “They attack us because they attack the West.”
He pointed to the killings of American personnel in Syria, including two U.S. soldiers and an American interpreter on Saturday, as evidence of a shared battlefield.
“Killed because they represent our common culture,” Netanyahu said.
Quoting remarks by U.S. Secretary of War Peter Hegseth, Netanyahu aligned Israel’s response with Washington’s stated doctrine of deterrence.
“If you target Americans anywhere in the world, you will spend the rest of your brief anxious life knowing the United States will hunt you, find you and ruthlessly kill you,” Netanyahu quoted Hegseth as saying.
Netanyahu said Israel’s policy is identical.
“Those who target Israelis, target our soldiers, try to kill them or try to hurt them and wound them — we take action,” he said. “They will spend the rest of their brief anxious lives knowing that Israel will hunt them, find them and ruthlessly dispose of them.”
He said that doctrine applies universally.
“That is American policy. This is Israel’s policy,” Netanyahu said. “It’s our policy in Gaza, in Lebanon, anywhere around us. We do not sit by and let these killers kill us.”
Netanyahu concluded by warning Western governments that failing to confront antisemitism and terror decisively would not contain the threat.
“The disease spreads,” he said, “and it will consume you as well.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
This heretic is propagandizing, misusing this tragedy to bolster Zionism. Since the advent of Zionism over a century ago, the level of antisemitism in the world has been unprecedented.
If that heretic actually cared to help Jews then he would announce to the world that his “State” is Zionist, not Jewish, and that Jews are not responsible for anything his “State” does. That would “lower the flame” by 99%.
Netanyahu should close his mouth and remain silent! Nobody appointed him as spokesperson for world Jewry. October 7th happened on his watch and he has allowed ministers like Ben Gvir, Smotrich, Eliyahu and others to pour fuel on the raging flames of antisemitism. Netanyahu is a coward who refuses to take responsibility for his failings. Let him let others advocate for the hidden suffering in Australia.
@HaKatan “Since the advent of Zionism over a century ago, the level of antisemitism in the world has been unprecedented.”, I guess the servants of Avimelech did a preemptive attack on Zionism when they destroyed the wells of Avrohom and Yitzchok. Same when Lavan tried to destroy Yaakov and Klala Yisroel. The same when Pharaoh in Egypt enslaved, tortured and killed many of our brethren for centuries. Same when Amolek attacked us in the desert…same when the Kannaities attacked the Jews in Israel…the Persians, Greeks, Romans, the Crusaders, the Inquisition, the Czars, the expulsions from England, Spain, Portugal…it is “all because of Zionism”. How foolish is that claim!
Perhaps he should look in the mirror…
@Rebbitzen_Goldenpickanicerscreenname
How foolish is that claim! You seem to have not bothered reading what I wrote.
I wrote very clearly “Since the advent of Zionism over a century ago…”. I didn’t write that it began at brias haOlam. And, indeed, prior to the founding of Zionism, the amount of antisemitism had never even come close to what happened after that, as noted.
(The only possible exception is harugei Beithar, depending on how you learn the gemara there in Gittin.)