Australian PM promises respectful, diplomatic response to criticism from Israel

Canberra, Aug 20 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that he treats fellow world leaders with respect after Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu described him as a "weak" politician.

In a post on social media platform X on Tuesday night, Netanyahu's office said that history will remember Albanese as a "weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews."

The comments represented an escalation in a political dispute between the two countries sparked by Albanese's announcement earlier this month that Australia would formally recognise a Palestinian state at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September.

Responding on Wednesday, Albanese said at a press conference in Adelaide that he would not take Netanyahu's criticism personally and would continue to engage diplomatically and with respect.

He said that his job is to represent the Australian national interest and that Australians want Israelis and Palestinians to "stop killing each other."

"Australians look at television coverage, in spite of the fact that there is limited media presence in Gaza, they look at what is happening, they look at the increasing settlements in the West Bank, and they look at the decision that Israel made in March to restrict the access of aid, food and water that people in Gaza needed, and they look at that and they think that something needs to change," he said.

Tony Burke, Australia's minister for home affairs, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio on Wednesday morning that Netanyahu had "lashed out" at several countries that had moved to support Palestinian statehood.

"Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry," Burke said.

The Australian government on Monday announced it would deny entry to far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman days before he was due to arrive for a speaking tour, which was followed by Israel revoking the visas of Australia's diplomatic representatives to the Palestinian Authority, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sky News Australia reported on Tuesday that Netanyahu on Sunday wrote to Albanese, accusing him of failing to address an epidemic of antisemitism in Australia.

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