Australia’s spy boss, Mike Burgess, condemned the discovery of explosives possibly intended for a terror attack as a disturbing escalation of the targeting of Jewish interests, as Peter Dutton ramped up a war of words over Labor’s handling of antisemitism.

Three new antisemitic graffiti attacks in Sydney overnight on Thursday, hours after NSW Police disclosed the discovery earlier this month of explosives in a caravan on the city’s fringe, further intensified the crisis over hate crimes and fears in the Jewish community.