Embattled Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apologized to the Jewish community Monday hours after he was loudly booed at a vigilfor the 15 killed in the Bondi Beach terrorist attack — admitting he feels the “weight of responsibility” for the hate-filled antisemitic massacre.
The embattled lefty leader — who has been widely accused of failing to curb surging antisemitic — voiced his regret after his humiliating reception from thousands of mourners marking a week since ISIS terrorists shot up a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
“Emotions were raw, and a lot of people in the community are hurting and angry, and some of that anger was directed towards me, and I understand that,” Albanese said as he addressed the crowd’s furious reaction towards him.
“As prime minister, I feel the weight of responsibility for an atrocity that happened while I’m prime minister,” he added.
“And I’m sorry for what the Jewish community and our nation as a whole has experienced.”
Albanese has faced widespread backlash in the wake of last week’s bloodshed after critics accused his center-left government of failing to curb a surge in antisemitism since the war in Gaza broke out.
Albanese’s apology came soon after he announced a review of the country’s law enforcement and intelligence agencies following the attack.
He said the review, which will be led by a former chief of Australia’s spy agency, would investigate whether federal police and intelligence agencies have the “right powers, structures, processes and sharing arrangements in place to keep Australians safe.”
Jewish leaders, however, have called for a royal commission — the most powerful type of Australian government inquiry — to be set up to investigate the attack.
Albanese defended the move for a review into security agencies rather than a royal commission — insisting it would be faster.
“The … review will enable action to take place,” he said.
“What we want to do is, if there are any holes, any findings, any actions that are required, we want that to occur.”
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