Antisemitism In Australia: Vandals Burn Car, Spray Anti-Israel Graffiti In Sydney Suburb

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On Tuesday, a car was set on fire, and two properties were defaced with anti-Israel graffiti in Woollahra, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. This attack is the second such incident in the area within three weeks, targeting the local Jewish community.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese strongly condemned the assault, calling it an “outrage.” He confirmed that he would be receiving updates on the case from a newly formed task force dedicated to addressing antisemitism.

“This isn’t an attack on a government, this is an attack on people because they happen to be Jewish. That is what has occurred,” Albanese told ABC Radio. “The idea that we take a conflict overseas and bring it here is something that is quite contrary to what Australia was built on … this is a hate crime, it’s as simple as that.”

New South Wales police reported that two individuals wearing face coverings and dark attire were spotted near the site of the fire in Woollahra, an area with a large Jewish community.

The latest incident follows a firebombing at a Melbourne shul, which Australian authorities are investigating as an act of terrorism. The Adass Israel shul in Melbourne was targeted just days before the Woollahra attack.

Since Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Australia has seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents. The Executive Council of Australian Jewry documented over 2,000 anti-Jewish occurrences between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024—compared to about 500 incidents during the same period the previous year.

Many in the Jewish community have voiced frustration with Albanese’s government, accusing it of failing to adequately address the growing problem of antisemitism in the country.

Following the Melbourne attack, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the arson and criticizing the Australian government.

“The burning of the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne is an abhorrent act of antisemitism. I expect the state authorities to use their full weight to prevent such antisemitic acts in the future,” Netanyahu said.

“Unfortunately, it is impossible to separate this reprehensible act from the extreme anti-Israeli position of the Labor government in Australia, including the scandalous decision to support the UN resolution calling on Israel ‘to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as rapidly as possible,’ and preventing a former Israeli minister from entering the country,” Netanyahu continued, referring to Australia’s refusal to grant a visa to former Israeli Minister Ayelet Shaked. “Anti-Israel sentiment is antisemitism,” he concluded.

Albanese was asked about Netanyahu’s comments on Sunday but declined to address them directly, stating that Netanyahu’s remarks were “a matter for the Israeli Prime Minister.”

In response, Murray Watt, Australia’s Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, defended the Australian government’s actions. He pointed to initiatives such as a $25 million funding boost for security improvements at Jewish institutions, including schools, as well as legislation banning the Nazi salute and efforts to combat hate speech.

“The Albanese Government has taken a range of strong actions to stand against antisemitism and to stamp it out from our community,” Watt said, adding, “I respectfully disagree with Prime Minister Netanyahu on this matter.”

{Matzav.com}

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