Israeli ambassador in Australia calls for reset in ties on October 7 anniversary eve
Israel's ambassador to Australia has said the third anniversary of the October 7 attack is an opportunity to restore what he called the countries' traditional friendship. Hillel Newman said he hoped for a "reset" in relations, while acknowledging that ties between the two governments have become strained since 2023. His comments came ahead of commemorations on Wednesday marking the anniversary of Hamas's attack.
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Newman said he had come with "a lot of goodwill" and wanted to make a positive change in the relationship. He said both sides should be able to disagree without allowing those differences to dominate the wider bilateral relationship. He also said Australia could criticise specific issues without that overshadowing the broader connection between the two countries.
The remarks come after recent public criticism from Israel's foreign ministry of Australian foreign affairs minister Penny Wong. The ministry described comments she made at the United Nations about settler violence in the West Bank as a "blatant lie". The row also follows an earlier intervention in Australian domestic politics, when Israel urged Labor to soften criticism in a draft policy platform that condemned settler violence and a controversial death penalty law.
The diplomatic tensions sit against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and its wider political fallout. Since the October 7 attack, in which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 Israelis and took 250 people hostage, relations between the Israeli government and Australia's federal Labor government have deteriorated sharply. Israel's military response has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, according to the figures cited in the source material, and Australia has joined other countries in taking a stronger stance against Israel.
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The anniversary has also prompted concern among Australia's Palestinian community. Leaders have said the federal government should do more to support the diaspora, which they say has suffered during the war in Gaza. That adds a domestic dimension to a dispute that is already shaped by foreign policy, public criticism and competing political pressures in both countries.
What remains unclear is whether Newman's call for a reset will lead to any immediate change in policy or tone from either government. The next point to watch is how Australia and Israel respond during and after the October 7 commemorations, and whether the latest exchange deepens or eases the strain. For now, the relationship remains marked by public disagreement even as both sides continue to signal the importance of the broader bilateral link.
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