CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s prime minister accused senior Muslim community leaders on Wednesday of “continuing down a path of denial” after they refused an invitation to a meeting to discuss the threat posed by Islamic extremists.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s tweeted response to the Islamic leaders’ request for a postponement of Thursday’s meeting adds to friction with the Muslim world sparked by his proposal last month to move the Australian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Morrison has denied a widely held view that the Jerusalem proposal was aimed at domestic political gain amid a debate over levels of Muslim immigration.

“The meeting is going ahead with those who want to deal with this issue seriously rather than look the other way,” Morrison said.

“Some have chosen to publicly boycott this meeting. Continuing down a path of denial only lets their communities down,” he added.

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