Australia and Israel are trading diplomatic blows with each side taking actions against the other’s officials.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a scathing statement accusing Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of betraying Israel.

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese betrayed Israel and abandoned Australian Jews. (Anna Moneymaker/Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images)

In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he would revoke visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. He also directed Israel’s embassy in Canberra to “carefully examine any official Australian visa application.”

“While antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is choosing to fuel it by false accusations, as if the visit of Israeli figures will disrupt public order and harm Australia’s Muslim population,” Sa’ar wrote on X. “It is shameful and unacceptable!”

AJA praised Sa’ar’s decision, saying that “The disgusting antisemitism from the Albanese government deserves a strong response.”

A member of the Jewish community recovers a Torah scroll from the Adass Israel Synagogue on December 6, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Australia’s Jews have seen antisemitism surge since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. According to an annual report released by Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, 2024, the country saw 2,062 anti-Jewish incidents. This marked an increase of 316% since its report of the previous year — Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023 — when there were 495 recorded incidents. ECAJ has yet to release a report for 2025.

The report documents assaults, verbal abuse, vandalism and other incidents. When broken down into categories, anti-Jewish physical assaults rose by 491% since the previous report and verbal abuse increased by 230% over the same period. 

Fox News Digital reached out to AJA and Albanese’s office but did not receive responses in time for publication.