Anthony Albanese has a lob at national leadership on fighting anti-Semitism

Anthony Albanese and security officials will finally tackle anti-Semitism, setting up a joint police-intelligence taskforce into hate crimes towards Jewish Australians and declaring the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue a likely terrorist attack.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, left, Anthony Albanese, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and ASIO director-general Mike Burgess in Canberra on Monday. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Anthony Albanese and security officials have capitulated to three days of demands to finally tackle anti-Semitism, setting up a joint police-intelligence taskforce into hate crimes towards Jewish Australians and declaring the firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue a likely terrorist attack.

Accused of playing “catch-up”, and as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus conceded Australia had experienced the highest level of anti-Semitism in a year in his lifetime, the Prime Minister announced Special Operation Avalite to investigate threats, violence and hatred towards Australian Jews.

Mr Albanese confirmed he would visit the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne’s Ripponlea this week after federal Labor MP Josh Burns, who represents the suburb and is Jewish, was booed by the community at the centre of the suspected terror attack, and as images emerged of the Prime Minister playing tennis in Perth’s wealthy beachside suburb of Cottesloe on Saturday afternoon.

With the AFP taskforce to be assisted by ASIO and working with state and territory police, Mr Albanese said anti-Semitism was a “major threat” and on the rise but did not say it was a bigger threat than Islamophobia.

Australia’s terrorism threat level remains at “probable”, with ASIO head Mike Burgess repeating his warning for people to be careful with their language so as not to inflame tensions and incite violence.

“We have seen incidents such as this (synagogue fire) … targeted specifically at the Jewish community,” the Prime Minister said.

“The Melbourne attack will be investigated as a terrorist incident. Our world-class agencies will provide all the support necessary to find the perpetrators and ensure they face the full force of the law.

“I can also announce that we have established AFP Special Operation Avalite for anti-Semitism. This is in response to the attack last Friday morning that is now the third arson attack after the attack on Josh Burns’s electorate office (in June) and the Sydney Woollahra car incident (last month).”

As recently as Sunday the Prime Minister dismissed calls from former deputy Liberal leader and prominent Jewish Australian Josh Frydenberg for a police taskforce devoted to stamping out anti-Semitism, and took more than 48 hours to say he personally believed the synagogue fire was a terrorist attack.

Mr Albanese did not change his busy three-day schedule in Perth and held a cabinet national security committee meeting on Monday as planned, rather than have one remotely. “This (arson attack) happened very early Friday morning. By the time I had taken off from Sydney, I’d had a full briefing from the AFP Commissioner. I’d spoken to the president of the (Jewish) community, I’d spoken to the special envoy for anti-Semitism, Jillian Segal, and I was fully engaged,” he said. “I rang into an interview on Raff Epstein’s program in Melbourne. I’d spoken to Josh Burns and … to a number of other members of the Jewish community. I will visit there.”

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton on Monday revealed three arsonists were believed to be involved in the attack, which gutted one of Australia’s busiest synagogues.

“We have had a terrorist attack on that synagogue,” Mr Patton said. “What concerns me is the callous nature of this attack, the involved nature of this attack, and the fact that the attack has taken place where it occurred. It’s quite clear it was targeted. It was callous and an horrific attack on the synagogue but, by default, it’s an attack on the Jewish people.”

Mr Patton would not be drawn on the three suspects’ identities but he said they were considered flight risks. He would not confirm if the arsonists were known to police or whether they were carrying guns during the incident.

Foreign interference playing a part in the arson has not been ruled out.

Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson accused the Prime Minister of “copying” the Coalition, after he and Peter Dutton earlier on Monday announced a suite of measures to tackle anti-Semitism, including a dedicated taskforce led by the AFP and incorporating ASIO and others.

The Coalition would direct the taskforce to refer any visa holders involved in acts of anti-Semitism to be deported, address outstanding complaints and unsolved crimes against the Jewish community since October 7, 2023 and amend the so-called character test to ensure anti-Semitic conduct was captured by the law.

“It’s very obvious the Prime Minister is playing catch-up and copying the opposition’s homework, but it’s also clear his heart isn’t in it. If it was, he would have launched this taskforce in the immediate aftermath of October 7, when it first became apparent we had a serious anti-Semitism crisis,” Senator Paterson said.

“Labor’s failure to recognise this as the serious threat to our national security and community safety has directly contributed to the tragic events at Adass Israel synagogue.”

Commissioner Reece Kershaw said the AFP had been discussing for months how to better support state and territory police to investigate hate crimes and threats against vulnerable communities, and would take a “greater role” in protecting Jewish people.

“Unfortunately in Australia today, those of Jewish ethnicity or religion are being targeted because of who they are … This is a crime, this needs to stop and today the AFP will expand its remit with the support of the commonwealth government,” Mr Kershaw said.

“Special Operation Avalite will be an agile and experienced squad of counter-terrorism investigators who will focus on threats of violence and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community and parliamentarians. In essence, they will be a flying squad to deploy nationally to incidents.

“(It) will investigate … urging violence against members or groups, advocating terrorism, advocating genocide, using a carriage service to make a threat and using a carriage service to menace or harass.”

Mr Dutton was escorted inside the Adass Israel Synagogue on Monday, labelling the attack an “abomination” and “evil”.

“How do you explain to a seven- or eight-year-old Jewish child that the place of worship is ­attacked in this way?” he said.

“How do you explain to them that there are armed guards at their school protecting them from a similar attack?

“I think we all need to come together, make sure we can call out evil when we see it. And this really is evil. To see the half-burnt books and the scriptures, and the devastation to a place that otherwise is peaceful and allows people to practise their faith, to share each other’s company, to see it disrupted in that way is a horrible thing.”