The new Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, says he has Jewish roots and has expressed a desire to boost ties with Israel.

Mr Turnbull was sworn in on Tuesday as Australia's fourth leader in two years, replacing Tony Abbott. The former tech entrepreneur, banker and lawyer had long achieved better ratings in leadership polls.

Speaking to the Australian Jewish News (AJN) in 2013, Mr Turnbull said that his "mother always used to say that her mother's family was Jewish... I grew up in the eastern suburbs and as we all observe, there were a lot of Jews in the eastern suburbs and I have always been very comfortable [there]."

According to the AJN, Mr Turnbull addressed the Australian Zionist Federation's annual meeting last month and reiterated Australia's support for Israel.