Australia launches anti-Semitism task force after synagogue arson attack
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Follow topic:
SYDNEY – Australia on Dec 9 launched an anti-Semitism task force following an arson attack at a synagogue in Melbourne, which police say was likely terrorism.
The fire on Dec 6 at Adass Israel Synagogue
It is the third anti-Semitic attack in Australia in 2024, following the vandalism of a Jewish MP’s office in Melbourne in June and anti-Semitic graffiti daubed on cars in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – an area with a high Jewish population – in November.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) task force will be known as Abalight.
“Special operation Abalight will be an agile and experienced squad of counter-terrorism investigators who will focus on threats, violence, and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community and parliamentarians,” Mr Reece Kershaw, the head of the AFP, told a news conference.
“In essence, they will be a flying squad to deploy nationally to incidents,” he said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the attacks on the Jewish community were concerning.
“Anti-Semitism is a major threat, and anti-Semitism has been on the rise,” he said.
Earlier on Dec 9, Australian police transferred the investigation into the fire to a joint counter-terrorism unit, saying the blaze was likely a terrorist attack.
State and federal police, along with the country’s domestic intelligence service, will work in tandem to identify the three suspects wanted in connection with the attack, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton told a news conference.
“We have the best resources, best-skilled investigators, people who are experts in this field, and we will throw everything we can at this investigation to resolve it,” he said.
The police initially said on Dec 6 that it did not believe the fire met the threshold of a terror attack. Designating it a suspected terror incident gives investigators additional resources and powers that include preventative detention, Mr Patton said.
The police have also stepped up patrols of Jewish areas in Melbourne in order to reassure the community there, he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised Australia on Dec 7, saying the attack could not be separated from the “anti-Israel spirit” of government policies, which include support of a recent UN motion backing a Palestinian state.
Mr Albanese said on Dec 8 that the fire appeared to be a terrorist attack.
Australia has seen an increase in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents since the start of a war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023.
Some Jewish organisations have said the government has not taken sufficient action in response.
Dozens of pro-Palestine protests over the past year have remained mostly peaceful, though the government has raised concerns they could threaten social cohesion. REUTERS
