Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Sunday over Australia's support for a Palestinian state, following a mass shooting at a Jewish holiday event in Sydney that killed 16 people, NSW police said.
Netanyahu claimed that Australia's stance on Palestinian statehood contributes to antisemitic incidents, stating "your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire."
During the ongoing Gaza war, Netanyahu has consistently connected international calls for Palestinian statehood and criticism of Israel's military operations to rising global antisemitism.
Other Israeli government officials joined Netanyahu in urging Australia to take stronger action against increasing antisemitic attacks, but Netanyahu specifically linked the Sydney shooting to support for a Palestinian state.
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'Bang bang bang': Eyewitnesses recount panic during Bondi Beach shooting; death toll rises to 16Australia was among several nations that officially recognised Palestine as a state during the United Nations gathering in September. The Palestinian foreign ministry reports that 159 countries have recognised Palestine.
The majority of the international community supports a two-state solution as the only path to resolve the long-standing conflict, but Netanyahu's government maintains that international pressure for Palestinian statehood serves to reward Hamas.
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