Tel Aviv, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seized upon the shooting incident during a Jewish religious ceremony in Australia,
and on Sunday launched a scathing attack on a number of international leaders.
Accusing them of failing to confront what he described as rising anti-Semitism,
This comes after a shooting incident targeting a Jewish religious event
in Australia that resulted in deaths and injuries.
He said that what happened in Australia was “a heinous act and cold-blooded murder,”
noting that the death toll was likely to rise.
He argued that the incident was a direct result of
“leaders ceasing to confront anti-Semitism.”
He described the phenomenon as “a cancer that spreads
when leaders remain silent and do not confront it firmly.”
The spread of anti-Semitism in Australia
The Israeli Prime Minister added that he had previously sent a letter,
several months ago, to the Australian Prime Minister,
He warned him that his country’s policies – as he put it – contribute to
encouraging hatred of Jews and the spread of anti-Semitism in Australian streets.
He called for a change in these policies and for what he called “weakness to be replaced with strength,”
stressing that this change has not happened.
Netanyahu stressed that the Israeli army and government would continue,
as he put it, to fight anti-Semitism and all those who support it.
He stressed the continued pressure on world leaders to
take more stringent steps within their countries.
He added that “the only way to defeat anti-Semitism is to confront it directly.”
An illogical terrorist attack
In response, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued
a statement strongly condemning the attack that targeted the Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
Describing it as an “irrational and terrorist attack” aimed at spreading fear,
He affirmed his government’s full solidarity with the Jewish community
in the country and its commitment to protecting them.
Earlier today, gunmen opened fire on participants in
a Hanukkah celebration near Bondi Beach in Sydney.
This resulted in the death of at least 12 people and injuries to 16 others, including two policemen.
Police announced that one of the attackers was killed during
an attempt to arrest him, and another was seriously injured.
With a third suspect arrested, authorities in New South Wales described
the attack as an act of terrorism.
