‘Nasty’: Albanese rejects Dutton’s claim he is at fault for all antisemitism

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected Peter Dutton’s allegation that he bears responsibility for every act of antisemitism in Australia as another example of the opposition leader’s “nastiness”, as both leaders escalate personal attacks ahead of the federal election campaign.

Dutton made the remarks at an unofficial campaign launch in Melbourne on Sunday as the NSW counterterrorism unit began an investigation into a graffiti and attempted arson attack on an inner-Sydney synagogue from the day before.

“Shockingly, antisemitism has surged by more than 700 per cent,” Dutton said at the event. “Every incident of antisemitism can be traced back to the prime minister’s dereliction of leadership in response to the sordid events on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.”

The allegation, which was not included in an early distribution of the text of Dutton’s planned speech, is the opposition’s strongest claim yet against Albanese linking him to antisemitism in Australia.

Pro-Palestinian protesters rallied at the Opera House on October 9, 2023, just days after Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, and chanted antisemitic slogans that drew widespread condemnation.

Albanese on Monday defended his record and said Dutton’s allegation was evidence of how the opposition leader could be “divisive” and “nasty” – a character attack Labor will continue to deploy against Dutton leading into the election.

“I said … earlier on in the interview that Peter Dutton could be just plain nasty. And that’s an example,” Albanese said in an interview on ABC Melbourne Mornings. He had previously said: “Peter Dutton represents a cold-hearted, mean-spirited, sometimes just plain nasty response [to the cost-of-living relief] and that’s not going to help people.”

Since the Opera House protest and Israel’s invasion of Gaza, there have been several attacks on synagogues across Australia, including with spray-painted swastika symbols.