Diplomatic tensions between Australia and Israel have increased after the gunman attacked a Jewish festival on Sydney's Bondi Beach. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken harshly to Australia after the attack. Pressure is also growing within Australia to take action against anti-Semitism after the attack.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for unity on Monday after the attack. Albanese spoke about unity immediately after Netanyahu's accusation that the Australian government has been doing nothing against anti-Semitism, which has been increasing since 2023. He said that his government is ready to take any action.
At a press conference, Albanese also highlighted the steps the government has taken against anti-Semitism. These include criminalising statements that incite violence and spread hatred; banning Nazi-style sculptures and increasing funding for the security of the Jewish community. He also said that Australia should tighten its gun laws.
According to the 2021 Australian census, there are about 116,967 Jewish people in the country. They make up only 0.46 per cent of the country's 25 million population. Most of these Jews live in Sydney or Melbourne. After the attack on Bondi Beach, many of them have also expressed concerns about their safety.
Australia officially recognised Palestine last September amid Israel's ethnic cleansing in Gaza. At that time, the Netanyahu government strongly objected to it. In addition, local police have allowed weekly protests in the Australian state of New South Wales since 2023 to protest Israel's atrocities in Gaza.
Tensions between Australia and Israel reached their peak last August. Then the Netanyahu government cancelled visas for Australian diplomats in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In response, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that this was an unfair reaction from Israel. Israel has taken such a step due to Australia's decision to recognise Palestine.
Australia's ruling Labour Party is quite open-minded in terms of multi-ethnic coexistence. They show relative laxity in accepting immigrants from different countries. However, Australia's conservative parties are accusing the Albanian government of such border policies as the reason for the attack on Bondi Beach. They are also talking about introducing a new immigration policy before Christmas.
However, Australia's Immigration Minister Tony Burke is reluctant to accept such a statement. He said that one of the gunmen, a 24-year-old man, was born in Australia. And the father of that young man was another gunman who came to Australia in 1998. The important thing is that the person who was present at the scene of the attack and stopped one of the gunmen is also an immigrant. The man who came to Australia from Syria is a Muslim - his name is Ahmed Al Ahmed.
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