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Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s comments to a Jewish community event in Melbourne on the final day of his Australian trip stand in stark contrast to the fury unleased by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately after the Bondi terrorist attack, when Netanyahu accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of doing nothing to stop rising hatred against Jews.
“All discussions with the Australian leadership were conducted with candour, open mindedness and a great deal of mutual respect,” Herzog said today.
“I found serious partners who are willing to hold serious conversations and address the vile rhetoric, the misinformation, the shameful antisemitism head on.”
Speaking at the same event, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan pledged to keep supporting the Jewish community in the face of rising hate.
“The true measure of any great nation is whether people feel safe enough to be their best and free enough to contribute in full,” she said. “For generations, Australia offered that promise to the Jewish community and we must maintain that for generations to come.”
Herzog’s comments signal that, despite significant policy differences between the Albanese and Netanyahu governments over the recognition of Palestine, expansion of West Bank settlements and conduct of the war in Gaza, the foundations of the Australia-Israel relationship remain sound.
Herzog and Albanese held discussions in Canberra and earlier in the week, shared an intimate dinner at Kirribilli House attended by their respective partners, Michal Herzog and Jodie Haydon.
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