Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese forcefully rejected criticism from Prime Minister Netanyahu today, dismissing any connection between Canberra’s support for recognizing a Palestinian state and the deadly terror attack at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney.
Albanese’s remarks came a day after Netanyahu sharply rebuked the Australian government, accusing its policies of fueling a rise in antisemitism. “Their policy pours oil on the antisemitic fire,” Netanyahu said Sunday night.
Speaking Monday to Australian television, Albanese responded unequivocally: he said he “does not accept Netanyahu’s claim linking recognition of a Palestinian state to the attack.”
Rather than address the policy failures that many in Australia say contributed to the tragedy, Albanese argued that the country is confronting a wide range of threats. He said that both “the rise of antisemitism and of the extreme right” represent serious dangers, adding that as prime minister, his responsibility is “to bring the Australian nation together and overcome the forces seeking to divide us and set Australians against each other.”
“This is a time to embrace the Jewish community,” he insisted, “not only those directly affected by the attack — everyone.”
Meanwhile, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns visited the hospitalized hero who subdued one of the terrorists. Minns met with Ahmad al-Ahmad, the courageous civilian who wrestled a gunman to the ground during the massacre.
“Ahmad is a true hero,” Minns said after the meeting. “Last night, his incredible bravery undoubtedly saved countless lives when he disarmed a terrorist at enormous personal risk.”
{Matzav.com}[Video below.] Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky cautioned that aggressive redistricting efforts in the middle of a decade risk inflaming civil tensions and could even spark violence among voters who feel shut out of the political process.
The discussion arose as host Kristen Welker pressed Paul on President Donald Trump’s stance toward Indiana Republicans who opposed a proposed redistricting plan. Welker asked, “On domestic policy and redistricting, President Trump is threatening the primary and all of the Indiana lawmakers who voted against his redistricting plan and the new map that would have benefited Republicans. Do you support Republicans trying to redraw maps mid-decade?”
Paul responded by framing the issue as a long-running, bipartisan escalation. “You know, it’s this escalation on both sides. Both sides are doing it, and so is one side going to sit quietly and not do it? You can argue who started it. But I do think this, and this is a negative aspect of both parties doing this, I think it will lead to more civil tension and possibly more violence in our country. Because think about it, if 35% of Texas is Democrat, solidly Democrat, and they have zero representation or like my state, we are a very Republican state, we have one Democrat area in Louisville, and we have a Democrat congressman. We could carve up Louisville and get rid of the one congressman, but how does that make Democrats feel? I think it makes them feel like they’re not represented. So, I don’t know, I think it’s bad, but it’s really not one party or the other doing it, it’s both parties doing it since the beginning of time. But in general, when it becomes so extreme, like if California has no Republican representatives after this is done, or has one left, I think that makes people so dissatisfied, they think, well, the electoral process isn’t working anymore, maybe we have to resort to other means. I think it could happen to both sides.”
Welker followed up, underscoring the gravity of his remarks, asking, “I have to follow up because what you’re saying is significant. You are concerned that redistricting could lead to more political violence?”
Paul confirmed that concern, saying, “I am concerned that if there are no representatives, like no Republican representatives in California or no Democrats in Texas, that it would be so thoroughly one-sided that people will feel like their vote isn’t counting. So I think it’s a mistake.”
He concluded by emphasizing the broader risk of disenfranchisement, adding, “I think there is the potential, if people feel they have no representation and are disenfranchised, that it can lead and might lead to violence in our country.”
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{Matzav.com}
