Police hunt two disguised men over Woollahra hate crime attack
A shocking anti-Semitic attack in Sydney’s east was intended to ‘strike fear’ into the Jewish community, NSW Premier Chris Minns says, vowing that those responsible will face the full force of the law.
A shocking anti-Semitic attack in Sydney’s east was intended to “strike fear” into the Jewish community, NSW Premier Chris Minns says, vowing that those responsible will face the full force of the law, as police continue to hunt for a pair of teenagers believed to be connected to the violent “hate crime”.
NSW Police on Wednesday issued an appeal for information for the disguised young men, who are believed to have been in Woollahra when a stolen car was set alight around 1am, and at least three buildings were tagged with anti-Semitic slurs.
The attack marks the second in a month for the prominent Jewish suburb, and is the latest in a long spate of anti-Semitic strikes on Jewish communities across the nation after a Melbourne synagogue was firebombed last Friday.
Mr Minns said the incident – in which the words “kill Israiel” (sic) and “death 2 Israiel” (sic) were scrawled across multiple buildings – was a “racist” attempt to “divide our city”.
He said anti-Semitic behaviour in NSW would not be tolerated.
“This is not simply just an act of vandalism on the streets of Sydney. We need to call it out for what it is,” he said. “The sequence of events leading up to it, the graffiti that accompanied it, clearly identify that this is an attack on our community and the Jewish community in Sydney. It is anti-Semitic and it needs to be met with a full response from NSW Police and the NSW government.”
Mr Minns said there was no point in “sugar-coating or downplaying” the rising level of anti-Semitic attacks in Australia.
“This was specifically designed to, in my view, incite hate and intimidate the Jewish community in Sydney,” he said. “So that’s the first thing we need to do – be clear and unambiguous about the meaning of this crime.”
In late November, two men were arrested and charged following another attack in Woollahra, in which “f..k Israel” was smeared across nine cars, as well as apartment buildings and Matt Moran’s Chiswick restaurant.
Assistant Police Commissioner Peter McKenna on Wednesday said police do not believe the latest attack is linked to the earlier one.
He confirmed the car set alight belonged to the offenders, not to a local resident.
“We don’t believe these incidents were linked. The offenders from the last attack are still in custody,” he said. “The vehicle that was set on fire was not a resident’s vehicle, it was actually the vehicle the offenders came in. It is the graffiti itself, the anti-Semitic remarks, that they have spray-painted on those houses, the footpath, that we are investigating.”
A large can of vegetable cooking oil with what smelled like petrol inside was left at the crime scene on Magney Street.
The tin was found around 2m from where the burnt-out car was located on Wednesday morning. Two unmarked police cars arrived around 10 minutes after a call to Bondi Police Station was made about the abandoned can. One ununiformed officer took photographs of the can, which is about a third full of the substance.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb described the attack as “disgusting” and said the police had been given extra resources to hold the offenders responsible.
“A full police response is under way and it commenced immediately with local regional and terrorism police being called out last night,” Commissioner Webb said.
“There is still a very active crime scene investigation at that location in Woollahra and police have been working around the clock to follow all leads.
“There will be an extensive investigation and it will take time. Police will be doorknocking and calling on any witnesses.
“The perpetrators were disguised and we need public assistance to come forward and help identify those two people, and any information they have is welcome.”
The two males wanted by police are aged between 15 and 20, have been described as of slim build, and were wearing face coverings and dark clothing.
Exclusive CCTV footage obtained by The Australian shows a dramatic explosion on a backstreet of the prominent Jewish suburb, before a grainy figure runs away from the blaze.
Anthony Albanese “unequivocally” condemned the incident, and said he would receive a briefing from an Australian Federal Police group tasked with investigating acts of anti-Semitism.
The Zionist Federation of Australia said the strike was a direct response to the federal government’s “drastic shifts on longstanding policy on Israel”.
“Jew-hatred is escalating into domestic terrorism, fuelled by the demonisation of Israel and a persistent failure to call out incitement,” chief executive Alon Cassuto said, adding: “The government’s drastic shifts on longstanding policy on Israel carry domestic consequences.”
Mr Minns on Wednesday stopped short of agreeing with Mr Cassuto’s criticism, instead saying: “We’ve worked closely with commonwealth authorities and (I work) directly with Anthony on these issues.
“We rely on the federal government and security agencies to combat threats and anti-Semitic violence in NSW,” he said.
Executive Council of the Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the anti-Semitic strike on Woollahra was made to “drive us from our country and make our fellow Australians fearful of associating with us”.
“The Jewish community again wakes to scenes of terror and devastation. More burning cars and broken glass,” he said.
“How long will this continue and with what horrors will it end?”
Mr Ryvchin called on Australians to “stand with us”.
“Don’t let this evil tear our country to pieces,” he said.
“We expect the new AFP taskforce to bring the perpetrators swiftly to justice.”
Kellie Sloane, the NSW MP for the seat of Vaucluse which takes in the suburb of Woollahra, said the “terrifying attacks” on Sydney’s Jewish community “must stop”.
“This breaks my heart,” she said. “These terrifying attacks on the Jewish community must stop. The culprits must face the full force of the law.”
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