National Cabinet told rise in antisemitic crime in Australia could be overseas sponsored

A national database will be set up to track antisemitic crime and behaviours to enable a coordinated response to incidents across Australia.

The agreement between the Commonwealth and all state and territory governments comes as Australian Federal Police are investigating whether the rise in antisemitic attacks is being influenced – and even paid for in some cases – by overseas actors.

Anthony Albanese convened a snap meeting of the National Cabinet on Tuesday evening (21 January), during which all governments agreed to intensify coordination efforts regarding the attacks.

The intended purpose of one national reporting system is to better inform and coordinate responses to antisemitic incidents.

The Prime Minister called the meeting in the wake of the latest incident, an arson and graffiti attack on a childcare centre at Maroubra in Sydney.

Mr Albanese, who visited the site earlier in the day, described the attack as “horrific” and “beyond belief” that it occurred.

“This is reprehensible. The idea that people target a childcare centre,” he said during an interview on Channel Seven.

“Childcare centres are places of joy, where we send our young Australians to learn off each other, where there’s harmony.

“One of the things about childcare centres is people don’t see – our young Australians certainly don’t see race or religion or anything else – they just engage with each other … We need to find out who is responsible, make sure they’re charged, and they face the full force of the law.”

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw briefed the virtual meeting on the latest police intelligence and told the leaders international influences could be radicalising young Australians and even paying criminals to carry out acts of violence against members of the Jewish community.

In a statement issued after he briefed the meeting, Commissioner Kershaw said there was no doubt there is an escalation of antisemitism in Australia.

“We know this is changing the movements and behaviour of a community that is in fear,” the Commissioner said.

“When a community feels they need to self-segregate or hide to stay safe, this has a greater impact on social cohesion and crime in general.

“Antisemitism is a disease in our community, and it needs to be aggressively attacked because history shows what happens when action is not taken against those who fuel fear and terrorise others … We are looking into whether overseas actors or individuals have paid local criminals in Australia to carry out some of these crimes in our suburbs.

“We are looking at if – or how – they have been paid, for example, in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify.

“We are looking into whether any young people are involved in carrying out some of these crimes and if they have been radicalised online and encouraged to commit antisemitic acts.

“Regardless, it all points to the same motivation: demonising and intimidating the Jewish community.”

Since the AFP established Operation Avalite, it has received 166 reports, 15 of which are under investigation. One person has been arrested to date.

Under New South Wales’ Strike Force Pearl, three men – aged 20, 19 and 21 – have been charged after 10 vehicles and buildings were deliberately damaged in Woollahra in November 2024.

Thirty-six people have been charged with antisemitic-related offences, including eight people charged with 59 offences.

Four men – aged 31, 27, 40 and 26 – have been charged following suspicious fires at two businesses in Bondi in October 2024.

A woman – aged 34 – was charged after vehicles and buildings were deliberately damaged in Woollahra in December 2024.

Under Operation Park in Victoria, 70 arrests have been made.

National Cabinet agreed that Commonwealth, state and territory Attorneys-General will work to ensure best practice is shared across jurisdictions, with Victoria and New South Wales leading this work.

The Prime Minister reaffirmed to National Cabinet that the full resources of the AFP and federal intelligence agencies stand ready to assist the efforts of the states’ police operations and actions by state and territory governments.

The leaders issued a statement to assert that the PM, along with all state premiers and chief ministers, unequivocally condemned antisemitism and reaffirmed to stamp it out in Australia.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has been urging the Prime Minister to convene a meeting of National Cabinet over antisemitism for some weeks.

Last week, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, also called for a National Cabinet meeting, saying the highest levels of all governments needed to address the issue urgently.