Australian PM: Palestine recognition unrelated to Sydney attack
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- The Australian prime minister rejects claims linking Palestinian state recognition to the Sydney attack.
- Remarks come after accusations from ‘Israel’ prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese dismissed claims that Australia’s position on recognizing a Palestinian state had any connection to the deadly attack in Sydney, directly rejecting accusations made by ‘Israel’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to Australia’s ABC broadcaster, Albanese said he saw no link between Australia’s stance on Palestine and the attack that took place Sunday in the Bondi Beach area of Sydney, which killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more.
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Clear rejection of accusations
Asked whether he accepted any relationship between recognition of a Palestinian state and the attack, Albanese replied: “No, I do not accept that”.
He added: “The overwhelming majority of countries around the world recognize that the two-state solution is the way forward in the Middle East”.
Netanyahu criticism
Netanyahu had accused Albanese a day earlier of “pouring fuel on the fire of antisemitism” by supporting recognition of a Palestinian state. He claimed the Australian leader had “replaced weakness with another weakness, and appeasement with more appeasement”.
The remarks were part of a broader pattern of criticism from ‘Israel’ following international moves supporting Palestinian statehood.
Political context
Australia has recently signaled openness to recognizing a Palestinian state as part of efforts to revive a two-state solution, amid mounting international pressure to address the ‘Israeli’ war in Gaza.
Read more: Who is Ahmad Al Ahmad, the man who stopped Sydney shooting?
Albanese stressed that violent attacks must not be exploited to undermine diplomatic positions or fuel division, reiterating that Australia rejects antisemitism and all forms of hate, while maintaining its support for a political solution based on international law.
Investigations into the Sydney attack remain ongoing as authorities continue to examine motives and security failures.
