Netanyahu's Reveals Chilling Letter: Australia Ignored Warnings, Paid in Jewish Blood

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lambasted the Australian government for its role in fostering an environment ripe for antisemitic violence, directly linking Canberra's pro-Palestinian policies and lax enforcement against Jew-hatred to the horrific mass shooting at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney that claimed multiple lives and injured dozens. In a scathing statement, Netanyahu revealed he had warned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese four months earlier in an August 17 letter: "Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets." He continued: "Antisemitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent, it retreats when leaders act. I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve." Netanyahu accused Albanese of doubling down on "weakness with weakness and appeasement with more appeasement," allowing antisemitism to metastasize unchecked, culminating in the "horrific attacks on Jews we saw today."

The tragedy unfolded amid Australia's increasingly hostile stance toward Israel, including calls for recognizing a Palestinian state and suspending arms sales amid the war against Hamas terrorists, moves that critics say embolden extremists and normalize antisemitic rhetoric. This political climate, combined with inadequate policing of hate crimes, has seen antisemitic incidents in Australia skyrocket over 300% since October 7, 2023, per community reports, with synagogues vandalized, Jewish schools targeted, and public chants glorifying terrorism going unpunished. The Sydney attack's prolonged duration and high casualty count highlight a glaring lack of preparedness, as authorities failed to swiftly neutralize the shooter, allowing the slaughter to drag on, a direct consequence of downplaying the threat from radicalized individuals inspired by Hamas propaganda.

Israeli leaders unanimously pinned blame on Australia's blindness to antisemitism. President Isaac Herzog mourned: "Jews were attacked while lighting the first candle of Hanukkah. We repeat our alerts time and again to the Australian government to seek action and fight against the enormous wave of antisemitism plaguing Australian society." Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted: "The writing was on the wall, the Australian government bears responsibility." Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar declared: "The attack was the result of two years of antisemitic incitement and calls to 'Globalize the Intifada.'" Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana warned: "Antisemitism turns into terrorism against Jews when not confronted." National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed: the assault stemmed from Canberra's policies that reward terrorism and demand an immediate crackdown to safeguard Australian Jews.

As Israel dispatches emergency aid to Sydney's Jewish community, Netanyahu's letter and the unified Israeli outcry underscore a harsh truth: Australia's appeasement of anti-Israel sentiment has blood on its hands, enabling a culture where Jew-hatred festers into deadly violence. With over 700 IDF soldiers fallen defending against Hamas rockets since the war began, and hostages like Hadar Goldin finally buried after 11 years in terrorist clutches, such policies not only endanger diaspora Jews but embolden the very terrorists Israel battles daily.