Netanyahu Says He Warned Australian Leaders About Rise of Anti-Semitism Before Mass Shooting

The Israeli prime minister says said he warned that Australia’s ‘call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the anti-Semitic fire.’
Netanyahu Says He Warned Australian Leaders About Rise of Anti-Semitism Before Mass Shooting
Emergency services workers gather at the scene after a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Dec. 14, 2025. Two gunmen opened fire at the beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 people and wounding many others during a gathering for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he warned Australian leaders about the rise of anti-Semitism in their country months before a devastating mass shooting that killed at least 15 people and a gunman during a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney on Dec. 14.

“On Aug. 17, about four months ago, I sent Prime Minister [Anthony] Albanese of Australia a letter in which I gave him warning that the Australian government’s policy was promoting and encouraging anti-Semitism in Australia,” Netanyahu said during a meeting on Sunday.

Jacki Thrapp
Jacki Thrapp
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Jacki Thrapp is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist based in Nashville. She previously worked at The New York Post, Fox News Channel and has written a series of Off-Broadway musicals in NYC. Contact her at [email protected]