Anti-Semitic Attacks in Sydney Spark Outrage and Calls for Action

Anti-Semitic Attacks in Sydney Spark Calls for Stronger Hate Crime Laws

The recent wave of anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney has sparked calls for stronger hate crime laws in New South Wales. Police have acknowledged that they cannot arrest their way out of the problem and are investigating links between the incidents.

One of the most recent attacks involved a childcare center in Sydney's south-east being firebombed and vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti. This incident was the eighth suspected hate crime in Sydney in recent months related to anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment.

In response, the NSW government has doubled the number of detectives investigating these incidents and is considering legislative reform to tackle hate crime. Local governments are also taking action, with the Randwick City Council calling for additional CCTV cameras in Sydney's east.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has a separate taskforce investigating threats and violence against the Australian Jewish community. The AFP is also communicating with international agencies about the recent attacks.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called a national meeting of state and territory leaders to discuss the issue. The leaders agreed to create a new national database to track anti-Semitic crimes and incidents.

Victoria's Jewish community leaders have welcomed the move and called for immediate action, including speedy police investigations and arrests.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Peter McKenna has described elements of the recent attacks as "sophisticated" and said detectives are investigating whether they are linked.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has said that the arrests made so far are "significant" and that police will not give up until they get to the bottom of all these matters.

Premier Chris Minns has indicated that his government will seek to introduce new laws around protecting places of worship and strengthening hate speech laws.

Professor of Criminal Law at the University of Sydney, Tyrone Kirchengast, believes there is room for new offences in the Crime Act that could better cover recent anti-Semitic attacks.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley has also been considering laws restricting protests outside religious institutions and places of worship that aim to intimidate or prevent religious people from practicing their faith.

David Mejia-Canales, a lawyer from the Human Rights Law Centre, has urged the premier to take a considered approach to any potential reform, ensuring a balance between protecting religious practice and safeguarding the right to peaceful assembly.