Australia hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he labelled Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese a "weak politician who betrayed Israel," in the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the outburst showed Netanyahu was a "frustrated leader lashing out."
"Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry," Burke told ABC.
"What we’ve seen with some of the actions they are taking is a continued isolation of Israel from the world, and that is not in their interests either."
The remarks come after Canberra announced last week it would recognise Palestinian statehood, joining France, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Netanyahu reacted furiously, accusing Albanese of "abandoning Australia’s Jews."
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent days.
Visas revoke
On Monday, Australia cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, saying his planned tour would "spread division."
Israel responded on Tuesday by revoking visas held by Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority.
Netanyahu’s late-night post on X added fuel to the row: "History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews."
Australia has long been seen as a close friend of Israel, with Melbourne once home to the largest per capita community of Holocaust survivors outside Israel.
But the genocide in Gaza has reshaped relations.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon last week said Netanyahu had "lost the plot," as Israel finds itself increasingly isolated internationally.
New Zealand, too, said it considers recognising Palestine.
Relations between Australia and Israel had already been strained by a wave of anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne late last year.
