• Netanyahu accuses Australia's PM of fueling antisemitism with support for Palestinian statehood.
• A deadly shooting during a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney claimed at least 11 lives.
• Australian PM Albanese condemned the attack and convened a national security council meeting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the recent deadly shooting at a Jewish holiday celebration in Sydney, which resulted in the deaths of at least 11 individuals, labeling it as "cold blooded murder." He attributed the rise in antisemitism in Australia to the government's support for Palestinian statehood, stating, "Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire," according to Reuters.

In a letter sent to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese four months prior, Netanyahu warned that Australia's policy was promoting antisemitism. Following the shooting, he reiterated that Albanese's inaction against rising antisemitism had allowed "the disease [to] spread," leading to such tragic events, reports South China Morning Post and India Times.

Albanese condemned the shooting, describing it as a targeted attack on Jewish Australians occurring on the first night of Hanukkah, and called an emergency meeting to address the situation. He expressed that the violence unleashed was "beyond comprehension," while Netanyahu praised the bravery of a passer-by who disarmed one of the shooters, highlighting the importance of standing against antisemitism, as indicated by Reuters and India Times.

Further linking the increase in antisemitic incidents globally to support for Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu criticized the worldwide trend of recognition which intensified in the wake of the Gaza conflict, asserting that Australia's governmental actions reward Hamas and contribute to threatening the safety of Jewish communities in Australia, according to South China Morning Post.