Anthony Albanese has been accused of responding “too slow” to a surge in anti-Semitism after yet another incident in Sydney.
A crime scene was established in the east Sydney suburb of Woollahra after “Kill Israiel” was scrawled onto a wall behind a torched car in the early hours of Wednesday.
Another car and two buildings were also vandalised, authorities said.
‘Kill Israiel’ was scrawled onto a wall behind a torched car in Sydney’s east. Picture: onScene Bondi
A crime scene has been established. Picture: Supplied
The second high profile anti-Semitic incident in a major Australian city in less than a week, senior Coalition MP Sussan Ley said she wanted “to see strong leadership from the Prime Minister”.
“This is not a peaceful protest. This is thugs and hooligans going to where Jewish people live, to their homes, and conducting these sort of awful, awful acts of intimidation, harassment, and who knows what next,” she told Sky News.
“I want to see arrests, I want to see action, I want to see strong leadership from the Prime Minister, and I’m not sure that we’re seeing that now.”
Mr Albanese and several senior ministers have condemned the latest incident in Sydney.
“Overwhelmingly, Australians are respectful people,” he told the ABC.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited a synagogue in Melbourne that was firebombed last week. Picture: NewsWire / David Geraghty
“Australians want to live peacefully, side by side, and Australians reject this abhorrent criminal behaviour.”
Mr Albanese said the incident was “not a political act”, in that it would “not change anything that is occurring in the Middle East”.
“This is an attack against their fellow Australians,” he said.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has pledged that those behind the incident in Woollahara “will face the full force of the law”.
“This latest attack is an abhorrent attempt to intimidate our Jewish community, but it will not be successful,” Mr Burke said in a statement.
“Officers from Operation Avalite will brief the government this morning. Home Affairs officials are engaging with NSW police.
“We will continue to stand with the Jewish community against hatred and violence which has no place in our country. Those responsible for this will face the full force of the law and the condemnation of our community.”