Woollahra vandalism: Police get extra powers after anti-Semitic graffiti attack, car torched in Jewish suburb

For the second time in little over two weeks a leafy suburb of eastern Sydney, an enclave of Jewish Australians, has been targeted by arsonists in a vicious anti-Semitic attack.

Emergency services attended Magney Street in Woollahra about 1am on Wednesday in response to reports of a vehicle fire.

The vehicle and one other, as well as two buildings and the footpath, were also sprayed with anti-Semitic graffiti reading “kill Israiel” (sic).

After the fire was extinguished, police officers set up a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the brazen attack.

Police are hunting for two young men they believe are associated with the attack. They are described as of slim build, between 15 and 20 years of age, and wearing face coverings and dark clothing.

Anyone with information in relation to this latest incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the AFP had briefed him on their investigation into the vandalism.

Speaking from Brisbane, Mr Albanese said he “unequivocally” condemned the “shameful attack” on the Jewish community and called for the nation to “stand together against anti-Semitism”.

“One of the things that makes us the greatest nation is that people of every faith and background has the right to feel safe,” he said.

“We must preserve that and defend it.”

Mr Albanese echoed sentiments shared with the ABC on Wednesday morning, when he said: “This is an attack against their fellow Australians”.

“This isn’t an attack on government, this is an attack on people because they happen to be Jewish,” he told ABC RN.

“This is a hate crime, it’s as simple as that.”

After the attack, NSW Premier Chris Minns approved equipping NSW Police with the same level of resources granted to them after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel to “ensure the that the public feel safe at a time of heightened community tension”.

Announcing the move on Wednesday, he said the “despicable people” behind the “anti-Semitic hate crime” would be met with a “zero tolerance response by NSW Police” and his Government.

“This is not simply just an act of vandalism on the streets of Sydney. We need to call it out for what it is,” Mr Minns told reporters.

He said there was no point “sugar-coating or downplaying” the rise of anti-Semitism in Australia.

“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,” he continued.

“This was specifically designed to, in my view, incite hate, and intimidate the Jewish community in Sydney.”

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed the resource boost and said local regional and terrorism police continued to investigate the scene.

“There will be an extensive investigation and it will take time. Police will be door knocking and they’ll be calling on any witnesses,” she said.

“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.”

Ms Webb confirmed that police believe the car set alight was stolen and driven by the offenders and did not belong to a resident.

She also said there had been an “increase in reports of hatred” across the city, but especially in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

This is the second time Woollahra — a suburb where 14 per cent of residents identify as Jewish, according to the 2021 Census — has been targeted by arsonists after vehicles were vandalised and set alight, and properties sprayed with anti-Israel graffiti.

A 20-year-old man allegedly responsible for the spree was arrested at Sydney airport days later and charged with 21 offences, including 14 counts of destroy or damage property.

Assistant Police Commissioner Peter McKenna told reporters on Wednesday that police do not believe the attacks were linked as the “offenders from the last attack are still in custody”.

Ms Minns said the laws related to these incidents were “serious” and that offenders, if convicted, faced a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

He confirmed he had spoken with Israel’s Ambassador Amir Maimon on Wednesday to express the state’s horror at the “disgusting display of anti-Semitism”.

Mr Maimon took to X after their meeting, declaring: “This rising tide of anti-Semitism must end now.”

Local member for Vaucluse Kellie Sloane demanded the culprits behind the attack “face the full force of the law”.

“This breaks my heart. These terrifying attacks on the Jewish community must stop,” she said.

The attack also comes days after Melbourne’s Adas Israel Synagogue was set alight on Friday morning in what authorities determined was an act of terror.

After days of political finger-pointing by the Opposition and criticism from Jewish leaders, Mr Albanese attended the gutted Ripponlea synagogue on Tuesday and pledged to provide “whatever support is necessary” to rebuild the community hub.

He said he would ensure “those who perpetrated this evil crime do not receive any benefit and indeed get the message that Australia is not a country that will tolerate such an act.”

The Joint Counter Terror Team investigating the arson attack confirmed authorities were looking for three suspects but would not give details on who the attackers might be or whether they are known to them.

Mr Albanese’s visit to the synagogue followed those by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Israel’s ambassador Amir Maimon, who took aim at the Australian government for its lax response to rising anti-Semitism.

“The Jewish community deserves better. Australians deserve better. The Government must do better,” the Ambassador said.

The Coalition had earlier questioned why it had taken until Tuesday for Mr Albanese to visit the synagogue and have accused the Government of being too weak on anti-Semitism and allowing the bigotry to fester — saying that had ultimately led to the terror attack.

The rise in anti-Semitism in Australia will now be the target of the newly-established Special Taskforce Avalight, as announced on Monday.

Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume said the spate of anti-Semitic attacks were “becoming a pattern that is all too common” and blamed the Albanese Government for “emboldening and enabling” the violence”.

“The Prime Minister has emboldened and enabled those that are committing these horrific crimes that are unfair on a really important section of our society and our community, and our Jewish community,” Ms Hume told Sunrise.

Anti-Semitic attack blamed on Government shifting Israel policy

A number of Jewish leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have linked the recent attacks to the Albanese Government’s shifts in policy on Israel.

Mr Netanyahu criticised Australia’s “extreme anti-Israel behaviour”, specifically its recent vote for a UN resolution calling for Israel to leave parts of Jerusalem and the West Bank, after the synagogue attack.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong defended the vote and said criticism of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza did not equate with anti-Semitism and again urged Israel to abide by international law.

However, prominent Jewish leaders have also linked the brazen anti-Semitic attacks to the vote and what the chief executive of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Alon Cassuto, described as “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,” Mr Cassuto said in a statement.

After the synagogue attack, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in the United States said it was preparing to warn Jews about travelling to Australia. It too noted the synagogue firebombing coincided with the “anti-Israel” vote.

Executive Council of the Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the Woollahra attack was a bid to “drive us from our country and make our fellow Australians fearful of associating with us”.

“Another act intended to terrorise us, drive us from our country and make our fellow Australians fearful of associating with us. How long will this continue and with what horrors will it end?”

Mr Ryvchin called on Australians to “stand with us” and said the council expected the AFP taskforce to “bring the perpetrators swiftly to justice”.

“Don’t let this evil tear our country to pieces,” he said.

Benjamin Klein, a board member of the Adass Israel Synagogue, told ABC News Breakfast the Albanese Government may finally be “getting the message” that anti-Semitic hatred had begun to “fester” after the string of firebombings.

“People have to wake up, the government has to see, the police have to see that this is something that really needs to be sorted through and stamped out,” Mr Klein said.

He said family members had suggested after the attacks that he consider leaving Australia, where he was born and raised, and move to Israel.

“I do believe that (the Government is) now pushing it as hard as they can. I believe they’re trying hard at the moment,” Mr Klein continued.

“Clearly it’s getting out of control and I do believe they’re getting the message now and things are starting to turn, definitely.”