Australia and Israel have taken diplomatic efforts against each other as tensions between the two nations over the war in Gaza grow.

Albanese made his remark a day after announcing Australia may recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations general Assembly in September, following France, Britain and Canada. Netanyahu has said this would serve as a reward for Hamas' October 7 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed accusations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the Australian leader a "weak politician" for recognizing a Palestinian state.

Albanese said that he doesn't take his Israeli counterpart's comments about him personally. Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke fired back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after the latter described his Australian counterpart,

Australia's relationship with Israel is "the worst it has ever been" after the Netanyahu government revoked visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority.

Australia has cancelled the visa of an Israeli lawmaker from prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's governing coalition who has advocated against Palestinian statehood and called for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank.

Australia and Israel are – were – traditional allies. A former leader of Australia’s Labor party and then president of the United Nations General Assembly, Herbert Evatt, played a significant role

Relations between the two countries have frayed since Australia said it planned to recognise a Palestinian state.

While Israel's prime minister has criticised Australia's decision on Palestinian statehood — even calling Anthony Albanese a "weak" leader — experts say this kind of treatment is far from unusual.

Israel on Monday cancelled the visas of Australian diplomats who maintain ties with the Palestinian Authority, in an escalating spat between the allies after Canberra said it would recognise a Palestinian state.

Australia’s prime minister responds to Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s accusation that he is ‘weak’ and has ‘betrayed Israel.’

The incident exposes the increasingly desperate efforts by Australian university and cultural institutions to censor all popular opposition to the Gaza genocide.