Australian authorities are warning of escalating acts of antisemitism, which are now being investigated by counter-terrorism officers.
A synagogue in Sydney, the country’s most populous city, was defaced Saturday with hate symbols and an attempt was made to start a fire.
Red swastikas were daubed along the front fence of the synagogue in the latest act of hate thought to be linked to conflicts in the Middle East.
Security images released by the police show two people wearing black hooded jackets and dark clothing outside the building.
Authorities say the vandalism was an act of “violence, hatred and racism.”
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb on Sunday told reporters that every effort was being made to catch those responsible.
“I appeal to anyone out there who knows who has perpetrated these disgusting offenses to come forward and tell police who they are,” Webb said. “We will continue pursuing them until we find them.”
Counter-terrorism police have taken over all the investigations into recent hate attacks on synagogues and other properties in the Australian state of New South Wales. Last Friday, the Allawah synagogue in Sydney was defaced in a separate incident by antisemitic graffiti.
Penny Sharpe, the acting premier of New South Wales, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Monday that a specialist counter-terrorism police unit would be in charge of the hate crimes investigations.
“They basically bring all of the intelligence we have about activity that is out there,” Sharpe said. “They are able to coordinate at the local level and at the broader level and, really, call on and ask the community to also help as we get to the bottom of this and that we make sure that New South Wales is a safe place for everyone.”
In a statement released to local media Sunday, the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, a prominent community organization, said the Jewish community remained “unbowed” by attempts of intimidation.
In December, a synagogue in Melbourne, Victoria was firebombed by assailants.
Muslim groups also have recorded a surge in Islamophobic abuse since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023.
Last year, the government in Canberra set up specialist antisemitic and Islamophobia community envoys in an attempt to diffuse tensions in the Australian community.
