Australian police launch operation, probe increased antisemitic attacks

Australian federal police launched a special operation to investigate an increase in antisemitic threats and violence since the war between Israel and Hamas began last year.

Jewish leaders say prejudice against their community has reached unprecedented levels, with most incidents reported in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities where 85 per cent of the nation's Jewish population live.

Almost 117,000 Jewish people live in Australia, according to the last census in 2021, or 0.46 per cent of the 25.4 million residents. The government says only Israel is home to more Holocaust survivors than Australia on a per capita basis.

Here's a look at some of the main cases investigated by Special Operation Avalite:  Dec 11: Antisemitic graffiti attacks in the eastern Sydney suburb of Woollahra  Police are looking for two male suspects, estimated to be aged between 15 and 20, seen running from Magney St in Woollahra when a car fire was reported at 1 am.

 

Two cars including the one that burned had been graffitied. Two homes and the sidewalk had also been spray-painted with what police described as antisemitic writing that included an apparently misspelled Kill Israiel.

Woollahra is a centre of Jewish life in Sydney and one of the wealthiest suburbs in the nation.

Not everyone who lives in Magney St is Jewish and police say there is no evidence that Jewish residents were specifically targeted.

Dec 6: Arson attack on Adass Israel Synagogue in a southeastern Melbourne suburb  The December 6 attack has been declared a terrorist act after authorities concluded there was a political motive. Police are searching for three suspects.

Two worshippers saw two men with their faces covered spreading a liquid accelerant around the building before it ignited.

Police have not said what role the third person played or whether they knew the suspects' identities.

Nov 21: Antisemitic acts in Wellington Street, Woollahra  Police arrested two suspects who allegedly launched an hour-long rampage of anti-Israel destruction in a different part of Woollahra.

Police were alerted to a car fire in Wellington St around 12:30 am. Two men with their faces covered were seen in CCTV spray-painting expletives and slogans referring to Israel on 10 cars in the vicinity of Wellington St, including the car that was burned.

They also graffitied three buildings including a restaurant owned by celebrity chef Matt Moran, who is not Jewish.

Mohammed Farhat, 20, was arrested on November 25 at Sydney International Airport as he prepared to fly to Indonesia. His alleged accomplice Thomas Stojanovski, 19, was arrested at his home on November 28.

Both remain in custody awaiting trial on multiple charges. They each face prison sentences of up to 10 years.

Jun 19: Jewish lawmaker's office in a Melbourne suburb vandalised  At least five people were seen near Josh Burns' office in Barkly St at about 3.20 am when the attack occurred, police said.

They smashed windows and graffitied the outside of his office in red paint with the slogan: Zionism is fascism.

Investigators said small fires were lit in the telecommunications pits at the front of the building before the group ran from the scene.

Burns, a government lawmaker, said at the time that no amount of aggression would change what's happening in the Middle East.