Australian PM shrugs off US-Israel backlash, calls sanctions response “predictable”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed criticism from the US and Israel over sanctions imposed on two far-right Israeli ministers, calling the backlash "predictable" and pointing to their actions as obstacles to peace in the region.

On June 10, Australia, alongside Britain, Canada, New Zealand, and Norway, announced coordinated sanctions targeting Israeli cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The five countries accused the ministers of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, prompting swift condemnation from key allies.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised the move in a statement on X, while the Israeli government labeled the sanctions “outrageous” and said it would convene a special meeting early next week to formulate a response. Albanese defended the sanctions and dismissed the criticism. 

“The Israeli Government does need to uphold its obligations under international law and some of the expansionist rhetoric that we've seen as well is clearly in contradiction of that from these hard-line right wing members of the Netanyahu government,” he said.

The Australian prime minister emphasised that the inflammatory statements made by Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have directly undermined efforts toward a two-state solution. Their comments, he said, “have aided what is a serious impediment to a two-state solution.”

By Naila Huseynova