PM Albanese heckled, booed during visit to Australia’s largest mosque over stance on Israel

SYDNEY(National Times)- Protesters heckled and booed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday during a visit to Australia’s largest mosque for Eidul Fitr prayers, voicing anger over his stance on ally Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Some in Australia’s Muslim and Jewish communities are angry over a fine line walked by the centre-left government since Israel began its military campaign in Gaza, expressing concern for Palestinians, repeatedly urging a ceasefire, and backing Israel’s right to self-defence. Video images showed protesters interrupting proceedings about 15 minutes after Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke joined worshippers at Lakemba Mosque in western Sydney to mark the end of Ramazan. Demonstrators booed, told Albanese and Burke to “Get out!” and called them “genocide supporters”, referring to Israel’s killing of Palestinians in Gaza. “Dear brothers and sisters, keep calm a little bit,” one of the organisers told the crowd, urging people to sit down and stop filming the exchange. “It is Eid. It is a joyful day.” A security guard was seen tackling one heckler to the ground before escorting him away. “Shame on you!” yelled protesters who followed Albanese and Burke when they left. The mosque event was “incredibly positive”, Albanese said later, despite the incident. “If you got a couple of people heckling in a crowd of 30,000, that should be put in that perspective,” he told reporters, adding that the community had dealt with a couple of hecklers. He added that some frustration stemmed from the government’s designation this month of Hizbut Tahrir as a prohibited hate group on the basis of laws prompted by a deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14. Protesters also turned out in February, when Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited at Albanese’s invitation to express solidarity with Jewish Australians allegedly targeted by gunmen inspired by the Islamic State during the Bondi attack. Thousands attended a rally in Sydney, where 27 people were arrested after clashes with police.



Latest News
Finance minister terms proposed FY27 budget as ‘significant progress’ in path to economic growth
US-Iran peace deal inches closer as PM Shehbaz says finalisation expected within a day
Five dead after Indian Air Force transport plane crashes in remote northeast
CTD claims arrest of suspect supplying drone technology to TTP in Karachi
In NA, PM Shehbaz affirms govt commitment to provinces’ development
SJC allows judges to attend political, diplomatic functions with prior approval
BUDGET 2026-27: Govt balances relief and IMF diktat
BUDGET 2026-27: Defence gets Rs3tr amid security concerns




Multi Media   
2025 in Review: A Year of Impact and Progress in Brussels
 Multi Media
DPM-FM Senator Ishaq Dar’s High-Level Brussels Visit: Key Highlights
 Multi Media
Embassy of Pakistan 🇵🇰 in Brussels || Quarterly Recap of Activities, Engagements & Outreach
 Multi Media
DPM Dar sends Trump peace prize nomination to Nobel Committee
 Multi Media
Pak Navy Chief Visits Foreign Ships Participating in Ninth Multinational Naval Exercise Aman | ISPR