Israel unleashes on Anthony Albanese's government and accuses it of inciting anti-Semitic attacks
- Albo is inciting 'attacks on Jews,' Israel says
- READ MORE: Australia votes FOR an Israel-Hamas ceasefire at the United Nations General Assembly - even as the US votes against it
Israel has lambasted the 'extreme anti-Israeli position' of the Aussie Labor government and claimed it is inciting attacks on Jews much like Hamas and Iran.
Israeli Government spokesperson David Mencer made the comments on Friday in reaction to the news of Australia's vote in favour of a United Nations resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza a day earlier.
The 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza with 153 members in supporting, 10 against - including the United States - and 23 abstaining.
In the wake of the vote, Mr Mencer blamed the Anthony Albanese government for anti-Semitic attacks in Australia, such as the one on the Adass Israel Synagogue last week.
'Israel does believe that it is impossible to separate the reprehensible act of burning down a synagogue for heaven's sake, from the extreme anti-Israeli position of your Labor government in Australia,' he told Sky News Australia.
'Anti-Israel sentiment coming from the Labor government is leading to anti-Semitism. Anti-Israel rhetoric leads to attacks on Jews.
'It's incitement, it's actually what Hamas and Iran are also engaged in. Incitement against the Jewish state leads to physical attacks on Jews.'
Mr Mencer said that although Albanese had recently condemned anti-Semitic attacks in Melbourne and Sydney, the Israeli government had not changed its view of Australia.
David Mencer said the Labor government's anti-Israel position is leading to attacks on Jews
'The proof is in the pudding and the votes yesterday at the United Nations, breaking that bipartisan consensus in Australia, it's about incitement.
'We here in Israel are fighting a battle against barbarism, and Australia should be an ally in that battle.
'We're winning here. Iran has been exposed, their air defences have been destroyed, their proxies have been pushed back.
'Hezbollah have been taken back decades. Assad in Syria who was responsible for 500,000 deaths.
'We're winning here in Israel and we want Australia to celebrate that success, because our success is your success in Australia as well.'
On Thursday, Mr Albanese said in a joint statement with his counterparts from NZ and Canada that Australia supports the creation of a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip but Hamas must give up its weapons.
'We are alarmed at the diminishing safe space for civilians in Gaza,' the statement released said.
'The price of defeating Hamas cannot be the continuous suffering of all Palestinian civilians.'
On Thursday, Mr Albanese said that Australia supports the creation of a sustainable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip
Mr Albanese, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said any ceasefire 'cannot be one-sided'.
'Hamas must release all hostages, stop using Palestinian civilians as human shields and lay down its arms,' they said.
Sydney saw a spate of anti-Semitic attacks in Woollahra last month, in which graffiti was sprayed on cars and buildings, including celebrity chef Matt Moran's Chiswick restaurant, and one car was torched.
Since then there have been two more attacks, one involving the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 as Jews gathered to pray, injuring one person, and another graffiti and car fire attack in Woollahra on December 11.
The arson of the Adass Israel Synagogue has been declared an act of terrorism as police continue to hunt three suspects.
Health authorities in the Hamas-run Gaza say the death toll from Israel's offensive has passed 18,000.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is expected to visit Israel and other countries in the Middle East in January.
