Netanyahu: Australia’s Albanese Abandoned the Jews
By Shane Shmuel (AJA member)
In a scathing response to yet another Israeli MP having their visa cancelled at the last minute, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him a “weak politician.” On Tuesday night, Netanyahu posted on X:
“History will remember Albanese for what he is: a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”
From leading pro-Palestinian rallies in his earlier years to enabling, appeasing, and emboldening Australia’s antisemites since October 7, Albanese has shown a clear and consistent disdain for the state of Israel. At the time he was shouting anti-Israel slogans through a megaphone, Israel’s then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak of the left-wing Labor Party had just presented Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat with what was described as the most comprehensive peace offer to date. Brokered by U.S. President Bill Clinton in 2000, Arafat walked away. What followed was the Second Intifada, marked by a surge in suicide bombings targeting buses, shopping centers, and cafés.
We also had the Oslo Accords, which were ultimately dismissed by Palestinian leadership. Time and again, they have demonstrated that they are not interested in peace—but rather, in “piece.” This aligns with the one-state ideology that rejects Israel’s right to exist, the same ideology that opposed the original UN Partition Plan, which sought to divide the British Mandate of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states.
Since then, many Arab nations have chosen peace—most notably Egypt in 1979, when Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat signed a historic peace treaty. Sadat was later assassinated in 1981 by extremists who viewed the agreement as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and the goal to eradicate Israel.
The recent last-minute visa cancellation of Israeli MP Simcha Rothman—just hours before his flight—is alarming. Rothman chairs the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and holds a senior position in the Israeli government. The controversy over his remarks is based on misrepresentation. In a broader conversation with a British journalist, Rothman had described Palestinian children as “enemies” within the context of international law and refugee policy, stating, “You don’t let them conquer your country with refugees.”
His broader point isn’t without merit. Historically, Palestinian militants have used women and children as tools of war, martyrs who carry out suicide bombings in public places. Under the Palestinian Authority’s “Pay for Slay” program, their families receive lifetime pensions. These attackers are promised martyrdom and heavenly rewards, including 72 virgins.
This context brings us to Tony Burke’s statement:
“Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division.”
In response, Australian Jewish Association CEO Robert Gregory was blunt but accurate when he told Sky News host Steve Price:
“If anyone in Home Affairs has an issue with someone calling for the elimination of a terrorist group, they shouldn’t be working in Home Affairs – it’s crazy.”
A government’s first responsibility is the safety and security of its citizens—and on this front, Burke, Wong, and Albanese are failing.
Instead of targeting Israeli officials, perhaps Burke, Wong, and Albanese should direct tough questions at Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza. Why won’t Egypt open its border to fleeing Palestinians? According to Egyptian authorities, the answer lies in security concerns: the Muslim Brotherhood, which Hamas is linked to, is considered an enemy of the Egyptian state.
On Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar responded by revoking visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority and instructing Israel’s embassy in Canberra to scrutinize all future Australian visa applications. In response, Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the move as an “unjustified reaction” and accused Israel of isolating itself.
No, Penny, it is you who is isolating Australia from our closest allies. Even the United States, our most important strategic partner, reportedly described Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state as “disgusting.”
Let us not forget the words of Menachem Begin, who said to U.S. Senator Joe Biden in 1982, “Don’t threaten us with cutting off your aid. It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history. Nobody came to our aid when we were dying in the gas chambers and ovens… We will stand by our principles. We will defend them. And, when necessary, we will die for them again, with or without your aid.”
As Netanyahu echoed this defiance, calling out Albanese’s weakness, he was also reminding the world: the Jewish people will not cower. We’ve seen where propaganda and hatred lead, whether in the 1930s or now.
The same venomous rhetoric has resurfaced in Australia, from “Gas the Jews” and “F the Jews” chanted on the steps of the Sydney Opera House on October 9, 2023, to the Sydney Harbor Bridge rally on August 3, 2025 and every week in between in Australian cities. At that rally, Hamas and Hezbollah flags flew, images of the Iranian Ayatollah were held high, and politicians from the Labor and Greens parties marched alongside Hezbollah linked figure Abed Mourtada, who had previously attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Israeli Foreign Minister Sa’ar condemned the rally, writing on X:
“The distorted alliance between the radical Left and fundamentalist Islam is sadly dragging the West toward the sidelines of history,” accompanied by a photo of a protester holding a sign bearing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s image.
Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel went further, calling the marchers “useful idiots of extreme Islam,” pointing out that many protesters, such as women and members of the LGBTQ+ community “wouldn’t survive a day in Iran.” She’s right. You won’t find Pride parades in Tehran or Gaza but you will in Tel Aviv.
And yet, Albanese had the audacity to describe that protest as “peaceful overall.” Of course he did, it aligns with his quiet hostility toward Israel. The cost of that will be borne by the Jewish community.
If only Albanese’s Jewish MPs Josh Burns and Mark Dreyfus had the moral clarity to challenge the Prime Minister and reject the ideological direction being set by him and Penny Wong. Instead, they remain silent.
And while Albanese is more than happy to pander to Beijing, he’s silent on the plight of the Uyghurs who are detained in Chinese concentration camps, euphemistically labelled “reeducation centers.” The U.S. and several other governments have labelled these atrocities as genocide. The UN has suggested the actions could amount to crimes against humanity. Perhaps it’s Australia that needs reeducation, one that reminds us that support for genocidal regimes is not in line with Australian or Western values.
If Albanese returns from China with a panda bear, he’ll likely see that as a diplomatic victory. He’s wrong. That’s not leadership. Standing up to terrorism and defending democratic values is leadership. When Hamas praises your actions, Mr. Albanese, the alarm bells should be deafening.
Netanyahu’s remarks echo those of Douglas Murray and Colonel Richard Kemp, both of whom have long been defenders of Israel. Since when did defending democracy against barbarism become a controversy?
Will Burke bar them from entering the country too, simply for being “controversial”? Probably never, because Albanese, with his trembling knees, wouldn’t dare spark tension with his ideological twin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Maybe if Albanese visited Israel himself—saw the aftermath of October 7, walked the sites of atrocities—his view might change. But I doubt it. Afterall, Penny Wong failed to visit the sites but rushed to pledge more money to the Palestinian Authority disguised as money to Hamas.
Just this morning, Burke says “strength not measured by how many people you blow up”. Perhaps he should direct that at Iran and its proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis. The truth is now exposed. Burke is pushing the Hamas propaganda as far as he can instead of considering the facts on the ground. If the aim of blowing up as many people as wanted, it would have been done within days of October 7.
Perhaps this moment is a test from G-d—a challenge meant to humble us before lifting us higher. Perhaps it is a lesson in resilience. What is certain is this: Albanese, Wong, and Burke will be remembered among the weakest and most misguided political leaders this country has seen. They will fade into history, while the state of Israel continues to thrive, innovate, and contribute to the world long into the future.
About the AuthorBased in Melbourne, Australia, I am proud Zionist and grandson of 4 Holocaust survivors. A Finance professional, I am passionate about Israel, Zionism, the Holocaust and politics as it relates to Israel. Since October 7, I began writing, advocating for Israel and fighting for Jews in Australia.
