Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar held a phone conversation on Sunday with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong following a deadly shooting attack at a Hanukkah event in Sydney that left 12 people dead.
According to Sa'ar, the call was initiated by the Australian foreign minister. During the conversation, Sa'ar expressed Israel’s pain and sorrow over what he described as a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack.
Sa'ar said that since October 7th, there has been a surge in antisemitism in Australia, including violent incitement against Israel and Jews in both digital and public spheres. He cited comparisons of Israel to the Nazis and the Holocaust, the burning of synagogues and Israeli flags, and marches featuring explicit expressions of hatred.
The Israeli foreign minister told his counterpart that security for the Jewish community in Australia can only be achieved through a real change in the public atmosphere. He said that calls such as “Globalize the Intifada,” “From the River to the Sea Palestine Will Be Free,” and “Death to the IDF” are not legitimate, are not part of freedom of speech, and inevitably lead to violent outcomes.
Sa'ar stated that the Australian government must take strong action against the use of such antisemitic calls.