Anthony Albanese defends response to anti-Semitism after another synagogue targeted

Anthony Albanese is pushing back against accusations he has not been tough enough on a rising tide of anti-Semitism in Australia.

Anthony Albanese is defending criticisms of his government’s handling of anti-Semitism after another synagogue was targeted in Sydney last week.

Peter Dutton accused the Prime Minister of being at least partly responsible for the surge in anti-Semitism in a speech to party faithful over the weekend.

The Opposition Leader said “every incident of anti-Semitism can be traced back to the Prime Minister’s dereliction of leadership in response to the sort of events on the steps of the Sydney Opera House” following Hamas’ brutal October 7 assault on Israel.

Mr Albanese on Monday called the remarks “just plain nasty”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is defending criticisms over his government’s handling of anti-Semitism. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“On Sunday, October 8th at 9am, I was on the (ABC’s) Insiders program,” he told the ABC.

“I had already spoken to the Israeli ambassador to Australia who was in Israel at the time.

“We unequivocally condemned that action. The next day, on October 9, the day that the Opera House event happened, I called for that to not go ahead on radio interviews that are available.

“So, once again, on an issue that shouldn’t be one where Peter Dutton seeks to divide politically, it should be one where he acknowledges that anyone of any decency opposes anti-Semitism.”

Mr Albanese said Mr Dutton was using anti-Semitism as a “political opportunity” instead of bringing “the country together on something that surely we all agree”.

“I accept that he and I both are horrified by anti-Semitism,” he said.

“I’ve campaigned against racism and anti-Semitism my whole life.”

The Albanese government has made sweeping changes to crack down on anti-Semitism, including banning the Nazi salute and extra funding for security at schools and synagogues.

It also set up Operation Avalite, a federal police-led taskforce, to investigate anti-Semitic incidents after the firebombing of a synagogue in Melbourne last year.

But incidents had been rising for well over a year at that point.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson says Australia’s Jewish community has ‘never seen it as bad as it is today’. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“I don’t know why it took a firebombing of a synagogue before the Prime Minister (announced) a special taskforce led by the Australian Federal Police,” opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson told the ABC earlier.

“Jews in the Australian community have never seen it as bad as it is today.

“We’ve seen people breaking the law on the weekend in our major cities almost every weekend when they are flying the flags of listed terrorist organisations like Hezbollah and Hamas, and yet there have been no consequences for those people.”

Swastikas were spray-painted onto a synagogue in Sydney last week. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

It continued a trend of anti-Semitic attacks in Australia. Picture: NewsWire / Simon Bullard.

On Friday, a red swastikas were spray-painted on a synagogue in Sydney’s inner west.

“F**k Jews” was also spray-painted onto a house in the city’s east on Saturday.

It was the second such incident in that suburb last week.

Police are investigating both incidents.