AFP reveal More than 100 anti-Semitic attacks on Jews in one month

Federal police have received more than 100 reports of anti-Semitic attacks targeting Australia’s Jewish community in just one month, new figures reveal.

Police on scene at Southern Sydney Synagogue which was vandalized with anti-sematic graffiti overnight. Picture: Tom Parrish

The Australian Federal Police have received more than 100 reports of anti-Semitic attacks targeting Australia’s Jewish community in just one month, new figures from Operation Avalite reveal.

Since December 9, 2024 the AFP has received 124 reports of crime for potential offences under the commonwealth legislation.

Of these, 102 reports are under investigation and 22 reports have not been accepted for further investigation.

Anthony Albanese said at the time the taskforce was established in response to three anti-Semitic attacks: the terrorist attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, an attack on Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns’ electorate office, and an incident in Woollahra in Sydney where a car was torched and buildings vandalised with anti-Israel messages.

Under Operation Avalite, investigation teams were placed in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, with authorities able to use legislation to investigate and prosecute offending that criminally targets the Australian Jewish community and federal parliamentarians.

The Prime Minister has faced immense pressure to step up the government’s response from the opposition, who have accused Labor of allowing anti-Semitism to go unchecked.

Despite releasing the latest figures to The Australian on Friday, the AFP did not reveal any new details about their investigation into the Adass Israel synagogue in Melbourne, which was set alight on December 6, 2024.

The cost of rebuilding the synagogue has soared to tens of millions of dollars, with police yet to make any arrests four weeks after the terror attack.

The figures come after the Southern Sydney Synagogue became the latest target of anti-Semitism, with vandals spray-painting swastikas and the phrase “Hitler on top” on its walls early on Friday morning.

Nazi symbols defaced the white walls of the Synagogue on Railway Ave, Allaway, with police at the scene searching for leads to identify the vandals.

NSW Premier Chris Minns arrived at the synagogue, which is in his electorate, on Friday morning and was seen speaking with leaders of the synagogue and police officers.

Mr Minns called the perpetrators “bastards” and individuals who “have got hate in their hearts, that are determined to divide our community in two” at a press conference.