Former Australian Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, 60, was sworn in Tuesday as the country’s new prime minister.
Turnbull, a former investment banker and lawyer, succeeded outgoing leader Tony Abbott in a vote of Liberal Party lawmakers.
The new prime minister told the Australian Jewish News in 2013 that his “mother always used to say that her mother’s family was Jewish.”
Turnbull also noted that he “always felt at home” where he grew up in the “eastern suburbs,” where he said there were “a lot of Jews.
He also told the August meeting of the Australian Zionist Federation’s annual gathering that while Israel and Australia had “very good” ties, he felt more could be done, according to the Australian Jewish News.
“We need to collaborate more with Israel, particularly on matters of science and technology. The more we can do with Israel, the better,” he said.
