Alnanese rejects Netanyahu’s claim linking Bondi Beach attack to Palestinian statehood

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has firmly dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood fueled “violent antisemitic acts.”

Speaking in an interview on Monday, Albanese rejected any connection between the recognition and the deadly attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach targeting a Jewish event, which left at least 15 people dead and dozens injured.

“And overwhelmingly, most of the world recognizes Palestinian statehood as the way forward in the Middle East,” Albanese said, underscoring the international consensus behind Australia’s decision.

Netanyahu immediately politicized the Bondi Beach attack by referencing the Palestinian statehood support by the Australian government.

The Israeli prime minister revealed that he had written to Albanese in August, "warning" against Australia’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu criticized Albanese’s approach, claiming it “replaced weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement.”

Responding to Netanyahu’s criticism, Albanese said his priority is national unity and his role “at this time is to bring the nation together, is to promote unity” and that the terrorists seek “to divide us as a nation, to pitch Australian against Australian.” 

Authorities reported that two gunmen opened fire at the Sydney event on Sunday. Police fatally shot one suspect, while the second was arrested and remains in critical condition.

Australia's domestic intelligence agency, ASIO, previously examined one of the gunmen involved in the Bondi Beach shooting six years ago due to his close ties with a Sydney-based ISIL (Daesh) terrorism cell, the ABC reported.

Investigators from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), which includes both state and federal agencies, are exploring the possibility that the gunmen had pledged allegiance to Daesh.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to understand the motive behind the attack.

Investigators also discovered what appeared to be several improvised explosive devices in a nearby vehicle linked to the suspect who was killed.

12 dead, dozens injured in mass shooting at Jewish event in Australia

The mass shooting came as hundreds of people had gathered at Sydney’s Bondi Beach for a Jewish event on Sunday.

Albanese called the scenes at Bondi “shocking and distressing,” adding, “There is no place for this hate, violence, and terrorism in our nation.”

While the Israeli regime has loudly tried to blame Australia for ignoring what it calls “antisemitic threats,” the focus for many Australians remains on condemning Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.

Since October 2023, protests have swept across major Australian cities, denouncing the regime’s two-year-long genocidal campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians, destroyed homes, and shattered families.

Social media and local reports indicate that public sentiment has increasingly reflected outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with protesters demanding that the Australian government condemn the Israeli regime’s genocide and halt arms sales to Tel Aviv.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir