‘Too slow’: PM under fire after latest anti-Semitic incident in Sydney

Anthony Albanese has called for an end to the “evil” scourge of anti-Semitism, following a wave of attacks on Jewish communities in Sydney and Melbourne.

Anthony Albanese has urged unity against the “evil” scourge of anti-Semitism following a string of attacks against Australia’s Jewish community.

The Prime Minister also said Australia would not be changing its position on the Middle East conflict, following claims he had told a private Labor function that people would be “upset” at a pending announcement.

In his strongest words to date, Mr Albanese said the “evil” trend needed to end.

“We need an end to anti-Semitism. It is evil. It diminishes us as a nation when we have events such as what we saw here again overnight,” he said, while announcing $8.5m of funding for Sydney’s Jewish Holocaust Museum.

Mr Albanese made the comments at the Museum on Wednesday afternoon alongside Sydney MP Tanya Plibersek, independent Wentworth MP Allegra Spender, Labor senator Deborah O’Neill and the Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Jillian Segal.

Anthony Albanese has been accused of responding “too slow” to a surge in anti-Semitism after yet another incident in Sydney. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Fire & Rescue NSW managed to extinguish the fire, however the car was vandalised along with two buildings, the footpath along Magney Street, and another car. Picture: NewsWire

Mr Albanese also said Australia would continue to support a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, with Australia actively voting in favour of an UN motion which supported the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestine last week.

Previously, Australia had abstained from similar votes.

This follows reports from Crikey that reported Mr Albanese had signalled while speaking at a private Labor event that people would be “upset by Thursday,” hinting at a future announcement on Labor’s stance on the Middle East.

Mr Albanese maintained that Israel had the right “to exist in secure borders,” and while he supported the Palestinian state, it “very clearly” couldn’t involve Hamas.

“That’s a position that I’ve held for a long period of time. That’s a position that the Labor Party holds,” he said.

His comments follow increasing criticism that Mr Albanese has been “too slow” to a surge in anti-Semitism, following the firebombing of a Melbourne Synagogue on Friday, and the overnight vandalism of cars and buildings in Sydney – the second in a few weeks./

A crime scene was established in the east Sydney suburb of Woollahra after “Kill Israiel” was scrawled onto a wall behind a torched car in the early hours of Wednesday.

Another car and two buildings were also vandalised, authorities said.

Police forensics were at the scene on Magney street in Woolhara on Wednesday after car was set alight and Israel graffiti was sprayed on garage walls. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The incident has shaken the neighbourhood in Sydney’s leafy eastern suburbs. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The second high profile anti-Semitic incident in a major Australian city in less than a week, senior Coalition MP Sussan Ley said she wanted “to see strong leadership from the Prime Minister”.

“This is not a peaceful protest. This is thugs and hooligans going to where Jewish people live, to their homes, and conducting these sort of awful, awful acts of intimidation, harassment, and who knows what next,” she told Sky News.

“I want to see arrests, I want to see action, I want to see strong leadership from the Prime Minister, and I’m not sure that we’re seeing that now.”

Mr Albanese and several senior ministers have condemned the latest incident in Sydney.

“Overwhelmingly, Australians are respectful people,” he told the ABC.

“Australians want to live peacefully, side-by-side, and Australians reject this abhorrent criminal behaviour.”

Mr Albanese said the incident was “not a political act”, in that it would “not change anything that is occurring in the Middle East”.

“This is an attack against their fellow Australians,” he said.

This latest attack is an abhorrent attempt to intimidate our Jewish community, but it will not be successful. 

Officers from Operation Avalite will brief the Government this morning. Home Affairs officials are engaging with NSW Police.

— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) December 10, 2024

NSW Premier defends Albo

Vowing to catch the “culprits” behind the vandalism, NSW Premier Chris Minns has defended Mr Albanese against the Coalition’s claims he had “enabled anti-Semitic behaviour”.

“I think that Anthony’s approach has been throughout his public life against racism, and I believe it’s sincerely felt by him,” he said.

Mr Minns said his state Labor government “worked closely” with Mr Albanese and Commonwealth authorities to curb rising anti-Semitic incidents, and it was “important that that communication and that dialogue continue”.

“We need to rely on both the Commonwealth government, security agencies, intelligence agencies, to combat what is a pervasive threat, and that is anti Semitic violence in NSW,” he said.

“I think everybody’s focused on this important issue right now”.

Speaking to media alongside NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, Mr Minns strongly and unabashedly labelled Wednesday morning’s incident as an anti-Semitic act “specifically designed” to “incite hate and intimidate the Jewish community in Sydney”.

NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Commissioner Karen Webb, alongside senior police, addressed the media after the attack. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“This was a deliberate attack, in my view … designed to put fear into the hearts of the people that live in Sydney’s east. It’s also important to note that Woollahra has a large Jewish population,” he said.

“If we start splitting hairs … and I said, ‘Oh, look, I’m not sure whether this was anti-Semitic’, when blind Freddie can see that it was, I think that would send the exact opposite message that this press conference is meant to convey.”

Federal member for Wentworth Allegra Spender said the event had “devastated” the community, confirming she has met with NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb.

“That attack was extremely frightening and you have it again is absolutely devastating for the community,” she said.

Ms Spender also committed to lobbying for tougher vilification laws which affect hate speech, and urged the government to move quickly.

However she declined to comment on the “political criticism” that has been directed at Mr Albanese.

“I do not want to get into political criticisms on this, what people are looking for is unity of purpose and real action,” she said.

“This meeting we just had with the NSW Police Minister had people from all stripes on all levels of government and we came together for one reason and that is because we care about the safety of our community, and we are desperate to protect that and. make this place a place that is socially cohesive.”

Vandals will face ‘full force of the law’

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has pledged that those behind the incident in Woollahra “will face the full force of the law”.

“This latest attack is an abhorrent attempt to intimidate our Jewish community, but it will not be successful,” Mr Burke said in a statement.

“Officers from Operation Avalite will brief the government this morning. Home Affairs officials are engaging with NSW police.

“We will continue to stand with the Jewish community against hatred and violence which has no place in our country. Those responsible for this will face the full force of the law and the condemnation of our community.”

The Albanese government on Monday announced Operation Avalite, a special taskforce to tackle anti-Semitic attacks after a synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed last week.

But many in the Jewish community have questioned why it took so long for any concrete action.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited a synagogue in Melbourne that was firebombed last week. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty

On Tuesday, security rushed Mr Albanese into his car after he was heckled while visiting the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne.

The incident overnight in Woollahra, which has a high Jewish population, is the second such incident in the suburb in less than a month.

In late November, several buildings were vandalised with anti-Semitic graffiti and a car set alight.

Two men have been charged in relation to that incident.