Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempt to link the arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue to the Albanese government’s alleged “anti-Israel” stance at the United Nations may have befuddled some Australians, but his comments are about something bigger than the policies of federal government.
Emboldened by the re-election of Donald Trump and Israel’s recent battlefield successes, Netanyahu sees himself as a leader of the global populist right who is perhaps the ultimate defender of Israel against an international left that he portrays as hostile and complicit in antisemitism.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has strongly criticised the Albanese government over what Israel says is its lack of support.Credit: AP, Alex Ellinghausen
“Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government in Australia,” Netanyahu said, claiming “anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism”.
This is effective, certainly with his base in Israel, but it is also toxic on two levels. First, Netanyahu is increasingly identifying Israel with the political space occupied not only by Trump, but also the likes of Hungary’s authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orban. Second, by conflating all criticism of Israel with antisemitism – a tactic that is far from being supported by most Jews – he risks dragging diaspora Jews into Israel’s messes against their will, and verifying the antisemitic trope about Jewish dual loyalties.
Netanyahu’s rhetoric reflects the confidence of a leader who sees himself riding a wave of political momentum. Trump’s return to the political spotlight, alongside a resurgence of nationalist and right-wing populist leaders worldwide, has strengthened his belief that his hardline approach has vindicated him on the world stage.
For Netanyahu, this is not just about Israel; it’s about leading a broader ideological battle against governments such as Australia’s, which he paints as not only an anti-Israel axis but part of a fundamentally anti-Western phenomenon – a sort of clueless, woke Fifth Column.
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Such governments tend to side with the Palestinians, and by framing that as evidence of hostility, Netanyahu aligns himself with the idea that Israel is under siege – not just from Hamas or Iran, but from left-leaning Western governments that he sees as morally confused and dangerously naive.
Moreover, he is emboldened by domestic factors as well. Few believed Netanyahu would survive the debacle of October 7, when Hamas managed to invade Israel, massacre 1200 people and kidnap about 250. Yet somehow, his coalition has held together and Israel has scored some successes.
