Israel, Iran condemn deadly attack on Jewish celebration in Australia

Man disarms attacker at Bondi Beach's shooting.

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The governments of Israel and Iran have condemned a shooting in Sydney targeting a Hanukkah celebration that killed 11 people on Sunday, with various government officials suggesting Australia had failed to combat hatred of Jews.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Canberra of having fuelled antisemitism in the period leading up to the shooting.

“A few months ago, I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism,” he said, referring to a letter he sent to Anthony Albanese in August following Canberra’s announcement that it would recognise Palestinian statehood.

“Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent,” Netanyahu added during a televised public address at an event in southern Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged Canberra to act against the “surge” in antisemitism during a phone call with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.

In a post on X, Saar said he told Wong “that since Oct 7 there has been a surge in antisemitism in Australia, including violent incitement against Israel and Jews”.

“The Australian government must take strong action against the use of these antisemitic calls,” he added, referring to slogans sometimes heard at pro-Palestinian protests, such as “Globalise the Intifada”, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free”, and “Death to the IDF (Israeli army)”.

Iran denounces a “violent attack”

Also, the Iranian foreign ministry on Sunday denounced the attack.

“We condemn the violent attack in Sydney, Australia. Terror and killing of human beings, wherever committed, is rejected and condemned,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said on X.

Relations between Iran and Australia have significantly deteriorated this year.

In August, Canberra blamed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for two 2024 arson attacks targeting its Jewish community.

The arson attacks targeted a kosher restaurant in Sydney and a synagogue in Melbourne but caused no casualties.

Following the attacks, Canberra declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata and gave him and three other Iranian diplomats a week to leave the country.

It also recalled its own ambassador and suspended the activities of its embassy in Tehran.

Iran condemned the move and vowed “reciprocal action”.

In November, the Australian government designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guards a terror-sponsoring group.

Iran’s foreign ministry called the move “an insulting and unjustified act” and a “violation of international legal rules and norms related to the national sovereignty of states.”

In June, arch foes Iran and Israel engaged in a direct war after a year of tit-for-tat strikes in the aftermath of the Gaza war.

That war, which lasted 12 days, saw Israel attacking Iranian military and nuclear sites, as well as residential areas, killing over a thousand people.

Iran responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel that killed dozens.

The United States briefly joined the conflict with strikes on Iranian nuclear sites before a ceasefire was reached.

AFP

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