Child Care Center in Sydney Set on Fire in Latest Antisemitic Attack
The center, located near a Jewish school and synagogue, was heavily damaged, though no injuries were reported.
SYDNEY — A child care center in eastern Sydney was set ablaze early Tuesday, and antisemitic graffiti was found on the walls, authorities confirmed. This attack is part of a concerning rise in antisemitic incidents targeting the Jewish community in Australia.
The child care center, located close to a Jewish school and synagogue, sustained severe damage, but fortunately, there were no injuries. The fire occurred around 1 a.m. local time, police said. This marks the second such incident in Sydney within just four days, contributing to an increasing number of hate crimes against the Jewish community in Australia's largest city.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns expressed his outrage over the attack, promising that the perpetrators would be apprehended. He also noted that law enforcement was dedicating more resources to investigating hate crimes, as there is growing public concern over the lack of arrests in previous antisemitic attacks.
"The kind of people who would attack a fellow Australian based on their race or religion are completely disgusting. These individuals will be caught by the police," Minns stated during a press briefing.
The rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in Australia comes amid heightened tensions following Israel's military response to a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Sydney has seen at least half a dozen hate-related incidents in the past two months alone.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the attack as a "vicious crime." With a national election scheduled for May, antisemitism is becoming a focal issue, with opposition parties accusing the Prime Minister of not doing enough to combat hate crimes.
In response to the surge in attacks, the Australian Federal Police have set up a specialized task force to investigate threats and violence directed at the Jewish community. The task force made its first arrest last week, charging a 44-year-old man with making death threats against members of a Jewish organization.