Agence France-PresseThe Australian Federal Police said it was investigating whether “overseas actors or individuals” were paying criminals to commit anti-Semitic crimes in the country.
A series of such incidents have occurred in recent months, the most recent of which was a child care center in Sydney being set on fire and sprayed with anti-Jewish graffiti. No one was injured.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an urgent Cabinet meeting in response, where officials agreed to create a national database to track anti-Semitic incidents.
So far, the federal police task force, which was set up in December to investigate such incidents, has received more than 166 reports of anti-Semitic crimes.
“We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals may have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said, adding that cryptocurrencies were likely involved.
Kershaw said it may take longer to become familiar with the digital currency.
The commissioner said police are also investigating whether young people are committing these crimes and whether they have been radicalized online.
However, Kershaw warned that “intelligence is not the same as evidence,” and more charges are expected soon.
Last week, a Sydney man became the first person to be charged by a federal task force, dubbed Special Operation Avalite, over alleged death threats he made towards a Jewish organisation.
Albanese said the incident on Tuesday at a childcare center in the eastern Sydney suburb of Maroubra was “as cowardly as it is disgusting” and described it as a “hate crime”.
“This was an attack targeting the Jewish community. It is a crime that concerns us all because it is also an attack on the nation and the society we have built together,” he wrote on social media.
Getty ImagesThe Australian Jewish Council, which was established last year to oppose anti-Semitism, said it “strongly condemns” this and all similar incidents.
“These actions underscore the urgent need for cooperation, education and community dialogue to combat bias and promote understanding,” she said in a statement.
Most of the recent incidents have occurred in Sydney and have involved anti-Semitic graffiti and the arson and vandalism of buildings including synagogues.
NSW has set up its own statewide taskforce to tackle the incidents and 36 people have so far been charged with anti-Semitism-related offences.
A further 70 people were arrested for similar crimes in the neighboring state of Victoria. A further 70 people were arrested for similar crimes in the neighboring state of Victoria. A Jewish synagogue was burned down last month.
