Australia lashed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday after he said the country’s leader was weak, with a top minister saying strength was more than “how many people you can blow up.”

For decades, Australia has considered itself a close friend of Israel, but the relationship has swiftly unraveled since Canberra announced last week it would recognize a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu drastically escalated a war of words on Tuesday night when he took to his official account on X to unleash an unprecedented personal attack on his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, whom he branded a “weak politician who betrayed Israel.”

Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Wednesday that Netanyahu’s outburst was that of a frustrated leader “lashing out.”

“Strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry,” Burke told national broadcaster ABC, referring to Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, where images of starving Gazans in sprawling tent camps have provoked widespread international outrage, including from Australia.

“What we’ve seen with some of the actions they are taking is a continued isolation of Israel from the world, and that is not in their interests either,” added........

© The Times of Israel