Wave of antisemitism in Australia: Terrorist attack on Jewish community foiled
A container filled with explosives was discovered in New South Wales, with evidence suggesting it was intended for an antisemitic attack. This finding comes amid a series of hate crimes in recent months, including a fire at a Melbourne synagogue and another at a Jewish daycare facility in Sydney.
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A police officer has a dialogue with a member of the Jewish community after the synagogue fire in Melbourne, Australia, December 2024.
The Australian police announced on Wednesday that they had thwarted a potential terrorist attack involving explosives aimed at the Jewish community.
The discovery comes amid a wave of anti-Semitic incidents that have surged across the country since the October 7 massacre, raising serious concerns among authorities and civilians, particularly within the Jewish community.
Police reported discovering a container filled with explosives in New South Wales, with evidence suggesting it was intended for an attack on a Jewish target.
At a press conference, New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson stated, "That caravan contained a quantity of explosives and some indications that they might be used in an antisemitic attack.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns stated, "This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event. There is only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism."
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Israel criticizes Australian authorities
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar criticized Australian authorities for not doing enough to protect the Jewish community.
"The attempted antisemitic terror attack at a synagogue in Sydney is intolerable," Sa'ar posted on X. He added that this incident "joins a long list of antisemitic attacks in Australia, including setting fire to a childcare center in Sydney, firebombing a synagogue in Melbourne, and many other antisemitic attacks."
"The epidemic of antisemitism is spreading in Australia almost unchecked. We expect the Australian government to do more to stop this disease!" the minister concluded.
Last month, after a synagogue fire in Melbourne, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the leftist government of Anthony Albanese, linking Canberra's critical stance on Israel to the rise in antisemitic attacks.
"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," he said, referring to Ayelet Shaked, who was not granted a visa by Australian authorities citing concerns that she would threaten social cohesion.
"Anti-Israel sentiment is anti-Semitism," Netanyahu added.
Albanese responded to the Israeli prime minister's criticism by claiming that Netanyahu was using the antisemitic attacks for political purposes.
A task force to deal with antisemitic incidents
In December, Australian authorities formed a special team to address anti-Semitic attacks. Since then, more than 160 complaints have been received, mainly concerning anti-Semitic graffiti and acts of vandalism targeting properties linked to the Jewish community.
Australia investigates possible foreign intervention in wave of antisemitism
Amid the wave of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia, the Australian Federal Police recently launched an investigation into whether local criminals are receiving funding from abroad to carry out attacks against the Jewish community, as reported by the BBC.
The main suspicions point to Iran, which funds several terrorist organizations in the Middle East, including Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, among others.
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Significant increase in antisemitism reported in the last few months
As mentioned, a significant increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in Australia has been reported in recent months.
The most recent incident occurred on January 21 in Sydney, where a Jewish community daycare was set on fire during the early hours of the morning and antisemitic graffiti was found nearby.
The daycare, which is located near a Jewish school and a synagogue, was severly damaged, local police said. No injuries were reported.
The earlier attack occurred four days prior in the area where Alex Ryvchin, a leader of Australia's Jewish community, once lived. Security camera footage shows two hooded individuals pouring flammable liquid onto the pavement before setting it alight, causing four vehicles to burn and damaging a house. The vandals also spray-painted anti-Semitic graffiti on a car.
Last December, a fire also tore through a synagogue in Melbourne, leaving two people injured and causing significant property damage. According to a witness, a group of individuals entered through a window and set the interior of the temple on fire.
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