Canberra, December 22 (IANS). Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allegation that the reason for the attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach was recognition of Palestine. He said the shooting was a result of extremist ideology.
The Israeli Prime Minister was attacking Australia just hours after the December 14 shooting. Netanyahu made a statement on 15 December that the Australian government did nothing to stop anti-Semitism and “rewarded terrorism” by recognizing Palestine, which led to the attack.
He said Australia’s policies were “weakness instead of weakness and appeasement instead of appeasement”.
Albanese said in a press conference on Monday (a week after the Bondi Beach tragedy) that he did not agree with any such thing. There is no link to this attack with recognition of Palestine.
Albanese said, “This was an attack inspired by ISIS. We know that ISIS is an ideology, a distorted form of Islam that fundamentally has nothing to do with the recognition of any nation; it wants a caliphate.”
He said he was now able to provide a more comprehensive response after the court released more details Monday morning.
PM Albanese continued, “This is an extremist ideology that wants a caliphate as its goal. There is evidence now… some of which, of course, is not yet public, and I don’t want to interfere with those investigations, but it is very clear that this is anti-Semitism.
“It is clear that this is an extremist position, a distorted form of Islam, which is close to ISIS. These people are not shy about their motivation.
According to Albanese, people will have to keep an eye on those facts.
On 14 December 2025, two attackers opened fire on a Jewish community celebrating Hanukkah on Bondi Beach, killing 15 people (including a child) and injuring several.
On December 16, Albanese announced that the government would criminalize hate speech and incitement to violence, ban Nazi salutes, increase funding to protect Jewish sites and tighten gun laws.
Australia recognized Palestine as a state in September 2025, as part of an international effort to achieve a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages by Hamas.
–IANS
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