Israel and Australia's war of words: How did we get here?

Canberra has been ramping up criticism of the devastating war in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu & Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. AP, Reuters

Unprecedented tension is placing significant strain on historically close ties between Israel and Australia.

Canberra has been ramping up criticism of its ally over the devastating war in Gaza.

Australia was one of the first countries to recognise Israel in 1949 and has been one of its staunchest supporters.

Now the two are locked in a war of words and tit-for-tat visa restrictions in a dramatic escalation of their diplomatic row.

How did we get here?

Recognising Palestine

It started when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on August 11 that Australia would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly next month. The situation in Gaza has gone “beyond the world's worst fears”, he added.

France, Canada and the UK have also announced plans to recognise Palestine in September, dealing a major blow to Israel's long-held opposition to Palestinian statehood.

Visa ban

A week later, the Australian government cancelled the visa of Simcha Rothman, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition who opposes Palestinian statehood and has called for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank.

Knesset member Mr Rothman had been scheduled to visit Australia at the invitation of a conservative Jewish organisation. His visa was revoked by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke just 24 hours before he was due to arrive.

“If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don't want you here,” Mr Burke told local media on the visa ban, which denies the Israeli legislator entry for three years.

It came in response to “inflammatory remarks” made by Mr Rothman, including calling Palestinian children “enemies” and his assertion that Palestinian statehood would lead to the destruction of Israel.

On the same day as his trip was cancelled, Israel retaliated by revoking the visas of Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority.

Protesters holding placards and a Palestinian flag on the King Street bridge during a Free Palestine rally in Melbourne. EPA

“I have decided to revoke the residency visas of Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a post on X. “I also instructed the Israeli embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel.” He also accused the Albanese government of “choosing to fuel” anti-Semitism.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the move was “unjustified” and said Israel was “undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution”.

Personal attack

Mr Netanyahu then lashed out at Mr Albanese, accusing him of “betraying Israel”.

“History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews,” wrote Mr Netanyahu on X.

The Australian Prime Minister seemed unaffected by Mr Netanyahu's criticism.

“I don't take these things personally. I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar things to say about other leaders,” he said during a media briefing.

Mr Burke was more stern in his response to Mr Netanyhau.

“Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry,” he said, in the harshest language used against Israel to date.

Simmering tensions

Despite the swift escalation, tension between Canberra and Israel has been simmering since last August, when Australia officially reinstated the term “occupied Palestinian Territories”, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

Ms Wong said the decision reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution.

But as Israel's aggression in Gaza escalated in recent months, with images of starving children flooding social media and mounting deaths of people seeking aid, so did Australia's criticism.

“The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world’s worst fears,” Mr Albanese said in July.

“Gaza is in the grip of a humanitarian catastrophe.

“Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored.”

Back in 1949, Australia, under prime minister Ben Chifley, played a considerable role in the creation and recognition of Israel. It could be on the way to playing a similar role for Palestine.