|
Hi Vicky,
I know we were all horrified this week when ASIO confirmed that agents of Iran had orchestrated antisemitic attacks in Australia, including the firebombing of Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in our own community.
Lewis’ Continental is a beloved institution – a family business that’s been part of the Bondi community for over 50 years.
I’ve been in touch with the owners who are understandably shaken to be targeted by a foreign power in this way.
If you’re able, please make a point of supporting them as a customer, or simply by sharing a kind word.
Many community members have reached out to me since this news, and I understand the deep sense of fear and distress it has caused, so I wanted to give you an update on what we know so far.
These Iranian orchestrated attacks targeted Jewish Australians in particular, but are really an attack on all of us: an attempt to divide Australians and undermine the harmony that makes our multicultural society so strong.
They must not succeed. Australians must stand united against antisemitism and all forms of hate.
Jewish Australians are valued members of our community, and so too are Iranian Australians, who ASIO have confirmed had no part in these attacks, and must not be blamed for the actions of a brutal regime.
I welcome the Government’s decision to expel the Iranian ambassador and declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organisation, which I've been calling for for over a year.
Australians have the right to feel safe in their own country.
I’m in regular contact with ASIO, the AFP and the Minister for Home Affairs, advocating to ensure our community’s safety, and I know you join me in sharing our gratitude to our security services and police, who are working around the clock to protect us.
From my briefing with ASIO this week, I can share three important points:
- No Iranian Australians were involved in these attacks,
- There are no outstanding persons of interest at large in the Australian community, and
- The overall threat level in Australia has not changed.
I have emphasised the need for the government to resource and support security measures in our community, but protecting the tolerance and harmony of this country requires more than security.
We must also seek to build stronger community bonds and bridges, and learn how to disagree well, so that differences of opinion don’t divide our nation.
Everyone should feel welcome in Australia. Our inclusive and diverse community is something we must protect every day.
|
