Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked the Australian government on Sunday following the deadly terror attack at the Hanukkah candle-lighting event in Bondi Beach, Australia, near Sydney. Addressing the incident, Netanyahu described antisemitism as a cancer and said leaders who remain silent were complicit in letting the circumstances evolve toward that incident.
Video: Member of the public overpowers terrorist / Credit: Social media
"A few months ago, I wrote a letter to the Australian prime minister," Netanyahu said. "I said that their policy adds fuel to the antisemitic fire and encourages the Jew-hatred running rampant in Australia's streets. Antisemitism is a cancer, and it spreads when leaders are silent. They must replace weakness with strength. That did not happen in Australia, and something terrible occurred there today – cold-blooded murder. The death toll is unfortunately rising by the moment."
Netanyahu continued, "We saw the evil, and we saw Jewish heroism at its peak. On my way here, I watched a video of a Jewish man tackling one of the murderers, wrestling the weapon away, and saving who knows how many lives."
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Watch the video and read the letter sent by Netanyahu below.
A diplomatic row has erupted between Israel and Australia, and PM Netanyahu has sent a stinging letter to PM Albanese. In the letter he writes:
"I am concerned by the… pic.twitter.com/O6GIQL6khs
— Chaya's Clan (@ChayasClan) August 19, 2025
The Israeli leader's correspondence, leaked to Sky News Australia Australia and dated August 17, 2025, explicitly charges Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with "pouring fuel on this antisemitic fire" via Palestinian state recognition advocacy. Netanyahu contends such diplomatic positioning "rewards Hamas terror, hardens Hamas's refusal to free the hostages" while actively "emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew-hatred now stalking your streets." Netanyahu called Albanese a "weak politician."
The correspondence establishes September 23, 2025 – coinciding with the Jewish new year of Rosh Hashanah – as Netanyahu's deadline for transformative Australian action against antisemitic escalation, Sky News Australia confirmed. The Israeli premier demanded Albanese "replace weakness with action" and "appeasement with resolve" through concrete policy initiatives addressing the crisis.
