These two cities are home to 85 per cent Australia's Jewish population, which the government says includes more Holocaust survivors per capita than any other nation except Israel.
But they have seen a rise in antisemitic attacks in recent months. For example, a December firebombing of a Melbourne synagogue left one person with burns. And earlier this month, a synagogue in South Sydney was defaced with swastikas and anti-Israel graffiti.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns reiterated that the rise in antisemitic violence was a major concern for the state.
“The primary concern for New South Wales is to address this wave of violence,” Minns said during a media briefing.
He then expressed deep concern over the situation,"The kind of people who would … attack a fellow Australian whom they don’t know because of their race or religion, it is completely disgusting and these b******* will be rounded up by the police,” Minns added.
New South Wales Acting Police Commissioner Peter Thurtell announced that Strike Force Pearl, formed to investigate antisemitic crimes in Sydney, will receive additional resources in response to the latest attack.
“We already have significant resources, but incidents like this highlight the fact that we need to keep putting the resources in to ensure that these offenders are identified and arrested,” Thurtell said. “These are criminals who are out to destroy our society, and we will do whatever we have to to ensure that these people are arrested."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as “a vicious crime” and has convened a national cabinet meeting to address the growing prevalence of antisemitic hate crimes.
“What we saw overnight with this attack is the latest in a series of antisemitic hate crimes,” he said, adding that “a place for children and families” should never be subjected to such violence. He also emphasised the need for coordinated responses at both the state and federal levels.
Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton, chief minister of the Great Synagogue in Sydney, says parents in his congregation are now fearful as the new school term approaches.
“There’s a great deal of stress and anxiety. Parents are not sure about taking their children to school,” he says.
“It’s very, very disturbing to not know what news you’re going to wake up to on any given morning. It’s terrorising – and that’s the point, it instills terror into people.”
Nine individuals have been arrested and charged over recent antisemitic attacks in Sydney, all remain in custody.
Among those arrested was 34-year-old Tammie Farrugia, who was taken into custody on Monday in connection to an attack in Sydney's Woollahra suburb on December 11.
In that incident, anti-Israel slogans, such as “Kill Israel” and “Death 2 Israel,” were scrawled on homes and cars, one of which was set on fire. Farrugia faces multiple charges related to the attack and will return to court on February 5.
In response to the increase in antisemitic incidents, New South Wales Police set up Operation Shelter, a dedicated effort to improve community safety in the wake of pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel protests.
Since its launch, more than 180 people have been arrested under the operation, with 40 facing specific charges related to antisemitic offences.
