By Perry Duffin
A man targeted Jews when he allegedly sprayed anti-Israel graffiti on walls and cars and set a vehicle ablaze in Sydney’s east, after researching the location of a Jewish hospital before the attack, a court heard.
Mohommed Farhat, 20, was arrested at Sydney Airport’s international terminal in late November and charged with 21 offences, including 14 counts of damaging and destroying property.
Detectives from Strike Force Mylor arrest Mohommed Farhat at Sydney Airport on November 25.Credit: NSW Police
The arrest came four days after a ute, parked on a street in Woollahra, went up in flames in the middle of the night and two men were captured on CCTV fleeing.
Emergency services found 10 cars, two homes and a high-end restaurant Chiswick had all been plastered with spray-painted messages, including “f--- Israel”.
Police estimate the damage exceeded $100,000.
Farhat, who was trying to fly to Bali at the time of his arrest, appeared on video link in Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, asking to be released on bail through his barrister, Rebekah Rodger.
Rodger told the court the trip to Bali was a holiday booked before the alleged graffiti spree.
Police prosecutor Andrew Maldigri told the court Farhat had searched for the location of a local Jewish hospital, not the Israeli embassy – meaning the attack was allegedly “targeted towards Jewish people”.
“He wasn’t looking up the location of the Israeli embassy, but the location of the Jewish hospital,” the prosecutor said. “This was targeting Jewish people, not people from Israel, or the Israeli government.”
The court heard forensic evidence linked Farhat and a co-accused to a car used in the attack.
Further, GPS and Uber records put him at the scene, Maldigri said.
Farhat has a large Hezbollah tattoo running from his collar up his neck; Maldigri said it was a sign of “brazen” support for the terrorist organisation.
“If someone is as brazen as to get a tattoo of a swastika on their neck it would go toward the risk to the community,” the prosecutor said.
Magistrate Susan Horan refused his application for bail, despite a $500,000 surety offered by Farhat’s “pro-social” family.
The attack was condemned by both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns.
A ute burned in Woollahra, in late November, as part of a wave of anti-Israel vandalism.
“There is no place for antisemitism in Australia. Conflict overseas cannot be made a platform for prejudice at home,” Albanese said.
“It is unacceptable, un-Australian, and it will not be tolerated,” Minns said.
Some cars were also daubed with anti-Israel graffiti, while others were tagged “PKK is coming” – a possible reference to the Kurdish separatist group of the same name, which is classified as a terrorist organisation in Australia and has been in conflict with Turkey.
The Turkish consulate is near where the cars were vandalised on Ocean Street.
Last week, Woollahra was hit with a second wave of vandalism, with more cars burnt and anti-Israeli messages spray-painted on homes. There is no suggestion this attack is linked to Farhat, who will return to court in February.
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