Australian Police Probe Funding of Antisemitic Crimes
Australian federal police are investigating whether “overseas actors or individuals” are financing local criminals to carry out a string of antisemitic crimes across the country. This follows a series of incidents in recent months, including the latest attack in Sydney, where a childcare centre was set on fire and defaced with anti-Jewish graffiti. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded by convening an urgent cabinet meeting, during which officials decided to establish a national database to track antisemitic incidents. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) task force set up in December to investigate these crimes has already received more than 166 reports of antisemitic acts.
“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,” said AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw. He also suggested that cryptocurrency could be involved, noting that digital currencies can be more difficult to trace.
In addition, Commissioner Kershaw emphasised the investigation into whether young people are behind some of these crimes and whether online radicalisation plays a role. However, he cautioned, “Intelligence is not the same as evidence,” adding that more charges are expected soon.
The most recent charge brought by the task force, dubbed Special Operation Avalite, was last week when a Sydney man was charged over alleged death threats made towards a Jewish organisation.
See Also: Antisemitic Incidents on the Rise in Australia
Albanese condemned the Maroubra childcare centre attack as “as cowardly as it is disgusting,” calling it a “hate crime.” He further stated on social media, “This was an attack targeted at the Jewish community. And it is a crime that concerns us all because it is also an attack on the nation and society we have built together.”
The Jewish Council of Australia, established last year to combat antisemitism, also condemned the attack, stressing the need for cooperation, education, and community dialogue. “These acts underscore the urgent need for cooperation, education, and community dialogue to combat prejudice and promote understanding,” the Council said in a statement.
Most of the recent antisemitic incidents have occurred in Sydney, involving graffiti, arson, and vandalism of Jewish institutions, including synagogues. In response, New South Wales has launched its own state-level task force to address the rising wave of antisemitic crimes. So far, 36 individuals have been charged with related offences. Additionally, 70 arrests have been made in the neighbouring state of Victoria, where a synagogue was set on fire last month.
Content Credit| Agbetan Bisola
Picture Credit | https://www.washingtonpost.com/
