One of Australia’s most prominent Jewish MPs has called for National Cabinet to convene this week and bring in mandatory sentences for criminals who attack synagogues, as multiple incidents of hate are referred to counter-terrorism police. Source: The Australian.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and NSW police commissioner Karen Webb are vowing to bring anti-Semites to justice, with the counter-terrorism command brought in to investigate what is now being treated as an attempted arson attack on the Newtown Synagogue in Sydney’s inner west on Saturday morning, after it was also hit with anti-Semitic graffiti.
Liberal MP for Berowra Julian Leeser said National Cabinet should meet this week and set out mandatory prison sentences for those who target Jewish synagogues, community centres and communities with anti-Semitic language and symbols.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office would not comment on whether he would consider calling National Cabinet, but a spokesman said Mr Albanese “unequivocally condemns anti-Semitism – there is simply no place for it in Australia”.
“We’ve acted strongly to combat these abhorrent incidents including criminalising the Nazi salute, display of hate symbols and doxxing, introducing legislation to criminalise a broader range of hate crimes and anti-Semitism, and providing more than $57 million to improve safety and security at Jewish schools and synagogues,” he said.
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Liberal MP Julian Leeser calls for national cabinet to convene to tackle spike in anti-Semitic crime (By Mohammad Alfares and Liam Mendes, The Australian)
