Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed the Australian government’s policies for the deadly Hanukkah shooting incident near Bondi Beach on Sunday.
He accused Canberra of constantly supporting Palestinian statehood, which has fuelled domestic anti-Semitism. He tried to shift the blame for the atrocities that his forces committed in Gaza to the Australian government.
A father-and-son duo on Sunday shot dead 15 Jewish community members during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
While the father was shot dead by the police, the other attacker suffered injuries in the exchange of fire and remains in the hospital.
Meanwhile, a local Muslim man was praised for intervening by tackling one of the assailants and disarming him.
Australia officially recognised Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, joining several countries seeking to pressure Israel over its military campaign in Gaza. Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to prevent the establishment of a viable Palestinian state.
Also read: Father and son identified as suspects in Australia shootout
“I wrote: ‘Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the anti-Semitic fire. It rewards Hamas. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourage the Jew hatred now stalking your streets,” Netanyahu remarked.
The mass shooting stemmed from the Australian government’s “weakness” and “inaction” in combating the “cancer” of anti-Semitism, Netanyahu claimed on Monday.
However, Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, did not respond to Netanyahu, as he focused on domestic gun policy in response to the deadly attack, calling for stricter gun ownership policies in the country.
Some analysts have linked a rise in anti-Semitic incidents globally to tensions over the Israel-Gaza war, where more than 70,000 Palestinians have been reported killed since October 2023.
Others believe that the war in Gaza and the level of atrocities committed by the Israeli forces may attract more Bondi-style attacks in the future if countries across the globe lower their guard in the aftermath of this attack.
The attack must serve as a warning to the international community that ISIS might carry out lone wolf-like attacks on the Jewish community, all because they want to send a message to the Israeli government.
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