Australia defends action on antisemitism after Netanyahu criticism

Australia's government defended its record on curbing antisemitism on Saturday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused it of anti-Israel policies, following an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue.

Netanyahu accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's centre-left Labor government of encouraging crimes such as Friday's attack on the Adass Israel synagogue through policies including support of a recent U.N. motion backing a Palestinian state.

"Unfortunately, this criminal act cannot be separated from the anti-Israel spirit blowing from the Labor government in Australia," Netanyahu posted on X.

Murray Watt, Australia's minister for employment and workplace relations, responded that "the Albanese Government has taken a range of strong actions to stand against antisemitism and to stamp it out from our community".

Since taking office in May 2022, the government had provided $25 million to Jewish organisations to upgrade security and safety at Jewish sites, including schools, banned the Nazi salute and was taking action against hate speech, Watt said.

"I respectfully disagree with Prime Minister Netanyahu on this matter," Watt said in Brisbane, according to a transcript.

Albanese condemned the attack on Friday, saying there was no place for antisemitism in Australia.

Police said on Saturday they were still looking for two people suspected of deliberately starting the synagogue fire that injured one and caused widespread damage in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state.

Australia has experienced a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents since the start of the Israel-Gaza war in October 2023. Laws passed last year banned public displays of terror group symbols.

Some Jewish groups, however, say Albanese's government has not done enough to tackle the rise of antisemitism.

Dozens of pro-Palestine protests over the past year have been largely peaceful, although the government raised concerns that protests could inflame community tensions and disrupt social harmony.