Israel’s chilling warning to Albanese over Palestine stance just hours before synagogue attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Australia’s support for a UN motion calling for the removal of Israeli settlers would lead to anti-Semitic terrorist attacks – just a day before a Melbourne synagogue was firebombed.

Two people were injured early Friday morning after the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea was attacked.

Rabbi Gabi Kaltmann said that “two thugs” smashed the synagogue’s windows shortly after 4 a.m. before throwing gasoline on the floor and setting it on fire as Jewish worshipers prepared to pray.

Worshipers were forced to flee the building, with two people suffering minor injuries in an attack that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as a “shocking incident.”

‘It must be condemned unequivocally; there is no place in Australia for a disgrace like this; Attacking a place of worship is an attack on Australian values,” he said.

“Attacking a synagogue is an act of anti-Semitism, attacking the right that all Australians should have to practice their beliefs in peace and security.”

The latest anti-Semitic attack came just three days after Australia joined 156 other countries at the United Nations in calling on Israel to remove settlers from the West Bank and Gaza and “end its unlawful presence as soon as possible” in the occupied Palestinian territories. ‘ – with Labor undoing two decades of bipartisan consensus.

Two people were injured early Friday morning after the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea was attacked

The motion also called for a conference to be held in New York to facilitate an “irreversible path” towards a Palestinian state.

A day before the attack on the synagogue, Mr. Netanyahu said The Australian that Australia’s support for that UN motion would “lead to more terrorism” and “more anti-Semitic riots” on Western campuses and city centers, “including in Australia.”

Netanyahu’s office blasted Australia for rewarding Hamas for massacring 1,200 people in southern Israel and taking another 254 hostage in a disastrous operation that also included torture and rape.

“On the contrary, they have embraced atrocities, including the rape, murder and beheading of Jews. It is a shame that the current Australian government wants to give these savages a state,” his office said.

Netanyahu’s message was addressed to Mr Albanese, who was previously secretary of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Palestine, and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Israel is frustrated with Labor for undoing two decades of two-party politics, with both sides of politics abstaining from motions calling on the Jewish state to withdraw from the West Bank.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Labor had “sold out the Jewish community” to shore up its support for voters in Sydney’s west with a higher number of Muslim votes.

A day before the synagogue attack, Benjamin Netanyahu told The Australian that Australia’s support for that UN motion would “provoke more terrorism” and “more anti-Semitic riots.”

Australia was not one of the eight countries that voted against the UN motion, leaving it on the opposite side of key defense ally the United States, Israel, neighboring Papua New Guinea, along with Argentina, Hungary, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru and Palau.

Australia instead joined key US allies Canada, Britain and New Zealand in supporting the motion critical of Israel.

Senator Wong argued that Palestinians should not continue to suffer under Hamas.

“Australia supports Israel and has traditionally been a friend of Israel, and Australia supports a two-state solution,” she said in New Zealand.

“It has become clear to us that we want to end the cycle of violence that we are all witnessing.

‘We want to contribute to peace and a two-state solution with partners in the ways we can.

“We have made it clear that Palestinian citizens cannot continue to pay the price for defeating Hamas.”

Senator Wong and her New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters released a statement on Friday criticizing Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza.

“They respected Israel’s right to defend itself, but noted that the right to self-defense was not unlimited and must comply with international law, including international humanitarian law,” they said.

“The ministers expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and called on Israel to do more to enable safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access.

“They underlined that civilians, as well as humanitarian and health workers, must be protected.”

As recently as September, they abstained from voting on a motion calling on Israel to end its “unlawful presence” in Gaza and the West Bank within 12 months.