Albanese and Netanyahu: beyond repair?

In the 11 days since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Australia will recognise a Palestinian state, we have seen an unprecedented escalation in diplomatic tensions between Australia and Israel.

Once close allies, the relationship has now seemingly deteriorated beyond repair after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s scathing attack on Albanese. But that it has come to this should surprise no one.

For close to two years, Australia’s Jewish community has felt betrayed by a meek and weak government offering rhetoric with no results.

Not everyone in the Jewish community supports Netanyahu, but few would argue with his assessment of Albanese: “A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

Australia’s plan to recognise Palestine was praised by Hamas. That praise was dismissed by Albanese as “propaganda” as if “Hamas propaganda” was a novel concept. Then came Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke’s cancellation of Israeli MP Simcha Rothman’s visa. Again, many in the Jewish community do not support the views of Rothman, a member of Israel’s right-wing Religious Zionist Party. But to deny him entry into Australia on the grounds that he would spread a “message of hate and division” is wildly hypocritical given the weekly chants on our own streets of “Death to the IDF”, “Long live the intifada” and “From the river to the sea”.