Australia-Israel Relationship at ‘Worst Place’ Since 1948: Paterson

This came after Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Anthony Albanese.

(L-R) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hilary Wardhaugh/AFP via Getty Images, Abir Sultan /Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Liberal Senator James Paterson described Australia’s relationship with Israel as at its “worst place” since the state was created in 1948.

“And that is not in our national interest because Israel is a liberal democracy and an important intelligence partner to Australia, who has provided intelligence to disrupt terrorist attacks on Australian soil in the past, as well as protecting our deployed soldiers in the Middle East,” Paterson said.

Paterson raised concerns about the tone of recent public discussion.

“We need to be turning down the temperature, not turning it up, and I don’t think [Home Affairs Minister] Tony Burke contributed to that,” Paterson said.

Paterson said Australia was entitled to defend the prime minister, but to use inflammatory language was  “irresponsible.”

“We have an anti-Semitism crisis in this country, we have people trying to set synagogues on fire and burn them to the ground, and the home affairs minister is responsible for domestic national security and social cohesion. And I do not think it helps social cohesion to use the kind of inflammatory language that he did. I think he should frankly apologise,” he said.

It comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of betraying Israel and abandoning Australian Jews.

Netanyahu’s remarks followed a decision by Burke to cancel the visa of Simcha Rothman, an Israeli MP and member of the Religious Zionist Party, who had planned to attend a speaking tour in Sydney and Melbourne.

Previously, Australia denied a visa to former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked in November 2024, as well as Israeli-American tech entrepreneur and public speaker Hillel Fuld in 2025.

In response to Netanyahu’s accusations, Burke said that strength was not measured by “how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry.”

Continuing to defend the prime minister, Burke said Albanese had shown strength by being frank with Netanyahu.

Burke said Albanese had stood up for the Palestinian people.

“We will recognise you and that we will take the action that Australia has always believed needed to be taken, which is that we have two states—an Israeli state and a Palestinian state—both secure, both recognised, both safe,” he said.

On Aug. 11, 2025, Australia formally announced that it would recognise a Palestinian state at a future U.N. General Assembly, conditional on certain commitments from the Palestinian authorities.

Albanese said his job was to represent Australian national interests when asked about Netanyahu’s comments in a press conference on Aug. 20.

“I treat leaders of other countries with respect. I engage with them in a diplomatic way,” Albanese said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Albanese government for comment.