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Dear Allegra,
I know everyone is immensely concerned about the violent attacks we have witnessed in our community over the last few months.
These antisemitic attacks are intended to terrorise one part of our community, but they affect and frighten us all. I know we all want to see the perpetrators of these horrible crimes brought to justice.
Our community has shown tremendous courage and resilience in the face of these attacks, and many members of the Jewish Community have told me how much the warm words and actions of their neighbours, colleagues and friends have meant to them. Thank you to everyone for the care and support people are showing.
I wanted to provide you with an update on the work I am doing.
Update on policing
Community security is a top priority for our police and for me. I meet weekly with the NSW Police Minister, and the police leaders of NSW Operation Shelter, Strike Force Pearl, and our local area command. I also regularly meet with the AFP and the Attorney General.
NSW Operation Shelter and Strike Force Pearl are specific police initiatives to ensure community safety and deal with hate crimes.
Under Strike Force Pearl:
- Four men – aged 31, 27, 40 and 26 – have been charged following suspicious fires at two businesses in Bondi in October 2024.
- Three men – aged 20, 19 and 21 – have been charged after ten vehicles and buildings were deliberately damaged in Woollahra in November 2024.
- A woman – aged 34 – was charged after vehicles and buildings were deliberately damaged in Woollahra in December 2024.
- Two men – aged 33 and 37 – have been charged with attempting to set fire to a Newtown synagogue earlier this month.
- 36 people have been charged with antisemitic-related offences, including eight people charged with 59 offences.
Other investigations are ongoing and there is a steadfast strength of purpose to prosecute those responsible.
The police have substantially increased their patrols across our community, particularly around Jewish places of worship and community sites.
As well as Strike Force Pearl and Operation Shelter, there is also Operation Avalite which was established by the AFP to investigate these crimes on a national basis.
This week the AFP made a statement highlighting the breadth of actions they are taking, including investigating the potential that some of these crimes were paid for, and the potential for foreign actors.
Strengthening the laws on hate speech and vilification
We must support the police by giving them the right tools to stop these crimes.
Laws have been strengthened to protect people from 'Doxxing' which is the malicious sharing of someone's personal information, as well as the display of Nazi symbols.
Violence is often sparked by extreme hate speech, and for the past year, I have been calling for new federal laws to combat this kind of extreme vilification. In Wentworth, both our Jewish and LGBTIQ+ communities have been subjected to this over recent months.
Under our current laws, hate preachers calling for a “final solution” and describing Jews as “bloodthirsty criminals, terrorists, and monsters” go unpunished.
When Parliament returns in February, I will put forward stronger legal protections for hate crimes and vilification, which I hope both major parties support. You can read more details here.
Local action
These are tough times, but our community has shown we can come together and support one another.
I know that everyone in our community values our inclusive culture, so I’ve made it a priority to do all I can to build bridges between communities and to make sure that everyone feels welcome, no matter their faith or background.
At the end of last year, I brought together leaders from across all the different faiths in our area to discuss the needs of each community right now. Many of the leaders had never met before, and just before Christmas and Hanukkah they published a joint call for tolerance and joy.
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