Amid escalating antisemitism Down Under, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong engaged in a heated phone call on Tuesday. The discussion, initially aimed at improving bilateral relations, quickly escalated into a direct clash of viewpoints on Gaza.

Wong, known for her alignment with anti-Israel voices within the ruling Australian Labor Party, accused Israel of failing to provide sufficient humanitarian aid for Gaza’s residents. Sa’ar rejected her claims, emphasizing that Israel had endured a large-scale assault on Oct. 7, 2023, not just by Hamas but by five additional entities, some of which do not share borders with the country.

“Australia chose to distance itself from Israel during the most challenging year in its modern history,” Sa’ar said, condemning Canberra’s weakened support for Israel. He further criticized Wong’s recent lumping together of Israel with Russia and China. “Israel is a Western democracy with robust rule of law, an independent judiciary, and adherence to international standards,” he said.