Bondi Beach Pogrom
Australian PM Rejects Netanyahu Claim Linking Palestinian State Recognition to Bondi Attack
Australia was among the countries this summer who gave diplomatic recognition to a "State of Palestine." PM Anthony Albanese has publicly rejected claims made by Netanyahu and others that these positions contributed to yesterday's massacre.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushed back on criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, rejecting any link between Australia’s diplomatic positions and the deadly terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Speaking to Australia’s ABC, Albanese said he “does not accept” Netanyahu’s assertion that moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state have fueled antisemitism and violence in Australia. Fifteen people were killed and at least 40 wounded in the Bondi shooting, which targeted a Jewish community event.
Netanyahu said Sunday that Australian government policy had “poured fuel on the fire of antisemitism,” citing what he described as months of warnings to Canberra. “Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders remain silent and fail to act,” Netanyahu said.
Albanese responded that antisemitism and far-right extremism are both serious threats, but rejected any attempt to politicize the attack. “My responsibility as prime minister is to unite Australians and confront those who seek to divide us,” he said. “This is the moment to embrace the Jewish community — all of it.”
Albanese also provided new details on the attackers, identifying them as Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed at the scene, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, who was wounded and remains in custody. According to Albanese, intelligence agencies investigated Naveed Akram in 2019 due to associations with radicalized individuals, but concluded at the time that he did not pose an active threat. The father, a licensed firearms holder, was also questioned in the past with no findings of radicalization.
The prime minister said the case would be reviewed as part of a broader reassessment of Australia’s gun laws, including the number of firearms individuals may hold and the duration of weapons licenses.
Earlier Monday, Albanese told a cabinet meeting that his government would devote “all necessary resources” to combating terrorism and antisemitism. “We stand with Australian Jews and against hatred and violence,” he said.
Australian counterterrorism officials have since assessed that the attackers had links to Islamic State operatives, with IS flags reportedly found in their vehicle.