Australia's Albanese defends antisemitism response as Israel urges more action

30/1/2025 15:03

Israel urged Australia to do more to halt an "epidemic of antisemitism" in the country as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was doing all it could to combat attacks that he says include domestic terrorism.



A Jewish school and two other properties in Sydney were sprayed with antisemitic slurs, authorities said on Thursday, a day after police said they had foiled an attack involving explosives in a suburb of the nation's biggest city.



The escalating series of attacks on synagogues, buildings and cars since the Israel-Gaza war began in October 2023 has sparked fear among Australia's nearly 115,000 Jewish people.



"The epidemic of antisemitism is spreading in Australia almost unchecked. We expect the Australian government to do more to stop this disease!," Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X.



Police in New South Wales state, which includes Sydney, said on Wednesday they had found explosives in a caravan, or trailer, that could have created a blast wave of 40 metres.



There was some indication the explosives might be used in an antisemitic attack that could have caused mass casualties.



Albanese called that threat, in which an undisclosed number of arrests were made, an act of terrorism and said his Labor government was "doing everything we can".