Australian Police Investigate International Funding of Antisemitic Crimes

The Australian Federal Police have launched an investigation into potential foreign funding behind rising antisemitic crimes, including recent arson at a childcare center in Sydney. The police taskforce has received numerous reports, prompting calls for a national tracking database.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) are now examining the possibility that international actors could be financing criminal groups in Australia to carry out antisemitic acts. This inquiry comes amid a disturbing uptick in incidents, the most alarming of which involved a childcare facility in Sydney being set ablaze and vandalized with anti-Jewish graffiti, though fortunately, there were no injuries reported.

In light of these developments, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened an urgent cabinet meeting, leading to the agreement to create a national database designed to monitor antisemitic occurrences across the nation. Since the establishment of a federal taskforce in December, the AFP has already received over 166 reports concerning antisemitic crimes.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw indicated that the investigation is delving into whether overseas entities are providing financial support to local criminals in Australia and considered the role cryptocurrencies might play in this complex situation. "Given their digital nature, cryptocurrencies can complicate identification efforts," Kershaw explained.

There is also an ongoing inquiry into whether young individuals involved in these acts have fallen prey to online radicalization. Kershaw stressed that while intelligence may suggest these connections, it is not the same as yielding solid evidence.

Last week, the first individual was charged under the federal taskforce initiative, known as Special Operation Avalite, for allegedly issuing death threats against a Jewish organization. Responding to the recent attack on the childcare center in Maroubra, Albanese labeled it a "cowardly" and "disgusting" hate crime directed at the Jewish community, affirming its implications for national solidarity.

The Jewish Council of Australia expressed its strong condemnation of the rising trend of antisemitic manifestations, emphasizing the critical need for communal cooperation and dialogue to combat racism and encourage understanding among diverse groups.

In recent months, Sydney has seen a surge in vandalistic antisemitic acts that included graffiti, arson, and the targeting of synagogues. New South Wales has initiated a separate state-level taskforce to counter this wave of hate crimes, with 36 arrests that resulted from these investigations. Meanwhile, another 70 individuals were apprehended for similar offenses in neighbouring Victoria, where a synagogue was also set ablaze last month.