Cops suspect foreign actors paying crims for anti-Semitic attacks

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw has revealed that anti-Semitic offenders could be local criminals being paid by overseas actors in cryptocurrency, as national cabinet convened following the firebombing of a Sydney childcare centre.

Local Jewish community members at the childcare centre. Picture: Julian Andrews

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Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw has revealed that anti-Semitic offenders could be local criminals being paid by overseas actors in crypto­currency, as Anthony Albanese was forced into convening a nat­ional cabinet meeting following the firebombing of a Sydney childcare centre.

Mr Kershaw, who briefed nat­ional cabinet leaders on Tuesday after the Prime Minister buckled under days of pressure to hold an emergency meeting on anti-Semitism, warned of potential foreign links to offenders waging terror against Jewish Australians, the use of encrypted communications and radicalisation of youth.

After 13 major anti-Semitic incidents in NSW over the past 16 days and firebombings or attempted arson attacks targeting synagogues, restaurants, homes, vehicles and a childcare centre in Sydney and Melbourne, the­national cabinet meeting failed to deliver on key demands from Jewish leaders.

Ahead of the meeting, Jewish groups had pushed Mr Albanese to win national cabinet support for the introduction of tougher ­sentencing for anti-Semitic attackers, stronger hate-speech reform, “no-mask laws” at protests and mandatory anti-Semitism education.

Following the virtual meeting, national cabinet leaders agreed to launch a national database to track crimes targeting the Jewish community and pledged that ­attorneys-general would work to ensure “best practice was shared” across jurisdictions in a nationally coherent response to anti-Semitism led by the NSW and Victoria governments.

A national cabinet statement said “the Prime Minister, state premiers and chief ministers un­equivocally condemn anti-Semitism and reaffirmed to stamp it out in Australia”.

After briefing national cabinet, Mr Kershaw said “anti-Semitism is a disease in our community” that must be stamped-out.

Police investigators are looking into links between young Australians exposed to radicalisation and whether those conducting attacks are criminals for hire being directed by overseas actors and using encrypted devices.

The Australian understands a number of high-profile arrests related to major anti-Semitic crimes are imminent.

The firebombing of the Sydney preschool and early learning centre, which was vandalised with the words “f..k the Jews”, occurred less than 200m from the Maroubra synagogue.

Mr Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns visited the centre on Tuesday morning.

Speaking alongside Mr Minns and NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell after visit­ing the childcare centre, Mr Albanese said “What we saw overnight, in the middle of the night, with this attack is the latest in a ­series of anti-Semitic hate crimes”.

“The only objective which will be achieved by this crime is the fulfilment of these people being caught, charged and facing the full force of the law,” he said.

“This is a place for children and families and it should never have been denigrated by this despicable and horrifying crime.”

Mr Minns said “these bastards” will be rounded up by police.

“These scenes of a torched-out childcare centre on the same premises or block as a synagogue is completely heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s against everything and all of the traditions that we hold dear in Australia. These anti-­Semitic attacks are the opposite of the kind of country that we all want to live in.”

Mr Kershaw confirmed that “all lines of inquiry are open to the investigations – including what anonymising technology, such as dedicated encrypted communication devices, have been used to commit these crimes”.

“We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs. We are looking at if – or how – they have been paid, for example in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify,” he said.

“We are looking into whether young people are involved in carrying out some of these crimes, and if they have been radicalised online and encouraged to commit anti-Semitic acts. Regardless, it all points to the same motivation: demonising and intimidating the Jewish community.”

Mr Kershaw, who is leading Special Operation Avalite, which is investigating 15 serious alle­gations and has received 166 reports of crime, said there was “no doubt there is an escalation of anti-Semitism in Australia”.

“We know this is changing the movements and behaviour of a community that is in fear,” he said.

“When a community feels they need to self-segregate or hide to stay safe, this has a greater impact on social cohesion and crime in general.

“Anti-Semitism is a disease in our community, and it needs to be aggressively attacked because history shows what happens when action is not taken against those who fuel fear and terrorise others.”

As Jewish leaders and Peter Dutton described the childcare centre firebombing as a “terror ­attack”, Mr Albanese said it was up to the police to designate whether it was a terror incident. “The police will speak for themselves … but there is no question that what this is aimed at is creating fear in the community,” he said.

Ahead of meeting with state police commissioners on Wednesday, Mr Kershaw said intelligence was “not the same as evidence” and confirmed that charges relating to high-profile anti-Semitic ­attacks were “expected soon”.

“We are regularly talking to our Five Eyes and trusted inter­national partners about these ­issues and the AFP stands ready to provide capability to our state and territory police, who I know are all taking these matters seriously.”

Despite federal and state governments ramping up police resources, there have been 13 major anti-Semitic incidents in Sydney and Newcastle since January 5.

Since October, there have been 18 anti-Semitic incidents.

Over the same period, there have been four Islamophobic incidents, including two linked to the same alleged offender.

Industry Minister Ed Husic, the nation’s most senior Muslim minister, said the anti-Semitic ­attack on a Maroubra childcare centre was “such a low-life act” but there also needed to be a “drop in Islamophobia”.

The Opposition Leader on Tuesday described the surge of anti-Semitic attacks as a “national crisis … We are having rolling terrorist attacks in our community, and the Prime Minister is being dragged kicking and screaming to hold a meeting of our nation’s leaders.”

Mr Albanese’s special envoy to combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal, who had urged him to convene a national cabinet meeting, said the childcare centre attack was “nothing less” than “domestic terrorism”. “This attack has proven no part of Jewish life is spared from this persistent campaign of hate,” she said.

Following the national cabinet meeting, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Peter Wertheim said Jewish leaders had been advocating for a national ­database of anti-Semitic crime and other incidents “for the last five years”.

“We would urge governments to go further so that the database tracks all hate-motivated crime, as governments have been doing in the UK, Canada and the US for more than 30 years. We hope that this modest but important measure is just a first step,” he said.

On Friday, the former eastern suburbs home of the ECAJ’s other co-convener, Alex Ryvchin, was targeted by attackers who doused it in red paint and torched two cars parked on the street. The NSW and Victoria governments are poised to incorporate inciting hatred into their criminal codes. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said he would introduce tougher state laws to crack down on anti-Semitism.

Additional reporting: Noah Yim