State and federal leaders will regularly meet with police chiefs as Australia seeks answers to a rising anti-Semitism crisis.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held talks with premiers from Victoria and NSW along with Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Tuesday as counter-terrorism police probe a string of incidents.
A synagogue in Sydney’s inner west was spray-painted with swastikas and targeted with an alleged arson attempt on Saturday, with anti-Semitic graffiti spray-painted on a house in Queens Park in the city’s east in a separate incident.
A Melbourne synagogue was similarly firebombed in December, with a statement from the PM’s office declaring action would be taken to stamp out anti-Semitism.
“The rise of anti-Semitism is abhorrent and there is no place for the kind of hate speech and attacks we have seen recently in our country,” the statement read.
“All three governments committed to regular conversations between leaders and agreed on the value of federal and state police commissioners engaging directly with the community.”
The Southern Sydney Synagogue was the subject of anti-Semitic graffiti. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)
Special Envoy to Combat anti-Semitism Jillian Segal supported the meeting, according to the prime minister’s office.
The statement, which is also attributable to Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and Acting NSW Premier Penny Sharpe, said the governments had agree for law enforcement agencies to share information to tackle the crisis.
They also referenced updating legislation, although they did not reveal any laws that might be changed.
The meeting came as Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus travelled to Israel to meet with the country’s officials and push for a peace deal in the region.
Mr Dreyfus has said he would call for the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, as well as reiterate support for a ceasefire as endorsed by the UN’s Security Council.
Israel’s war in Gaza was sparked by a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 that killed 1200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken, according to Israeli authorities.
In response, Israel has since waged a brutal occupation of the Gaza Strip which has killed more than 46,000 people, according to the local health ministry.