Australia's home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has escalated a diplomatic row with Israel by stating that “strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry.” The comments came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a “weak politician who betrayed Israel.”
Burke defended his decision to cancel a visa for far-right Israeli Knesset member Simcha Rothman, citing Rothman's past remarks calling children in Gaza “enemies” of Israel. Burke said the visa was cancelled to protect Palestinian and Muslim Australians, not because of Rothman's views on Hamas.
Netanyahu's office had earlier condemned Albanese on social media, accusing him of abandoning Australia's Jews. Netanyahu also wrote a letter to Albanese, accusing him of pouring “fuel on this antisemitic fire” and criticising Australia's recognition of Palestine as “appeasement.”
Albanese responded by saying he did not take Netanyahu's comments personally and had given the Israeli leader a clear indication of Australia's views. He noted that Netanyahu had made similar remarks about other leaders.
Other Australian ministers, including Clare O'Neil, expressed disappointment at Netanyahu's comments, stating that such diplomacy does not work. The opposition, however, accused the government of damaging the relationship with Israel, with shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie criticising the visa cancellation.
