PM Dubs Woollahra Graffiti “Antisemitic”

The Prime Minister has condemned an incident of anti-Israeli graffiti in Sydney’s east overnight. A car was set alight, with nine others, and three buildings, tagged with the words “fuck Israel” and “PKK is coming”.

NSW police were called to the fire in Wellington Street in Woollahra at 12:30 on Thursday morning, at which point they discovered the graffiti. Firefighters extinguished the flames and there were no reported injuries.

The windows of the restaurant Chiswick, belonging to celebrity chef Matt Moran were also spray painted, though the establishment has resumed normal trade today.

“It’s incredibly disappointing to see this amount of vandalism – there’s no place for it in our community. We are cooperating with the relevant authorities in their investigation,” Moran said.

Nearby apartment blocks were also targeted, with the graffiti spreading across four streets. Police estimate that the combined damage to the cars and property amounts to between $90,000 and $120,000.

Police say that two people wearing face masks and dark hoodies were captured on CCTV spraying the vehicles and running.

Both major parties speak out against antisemitic graffiti

Anthony Albanese labeled the incident an “act of antisemitism”, and said that the scene was “deeply troubling to all Australians.”

MPs Josh Burns and Dave Sharma, from the Labor and Liberal Parties respectively, held a cross-party press conference to condemn such abuse “across the political aisle”.

“This community of Jewish Australians have been feeling besieged and under threat for the past year and it simply has to stop. This is not an attack on one community, it is an attack on the values and social contract that holds us all together as Australians,” said Sharma, who was formerly the ambassador to Israel.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip said he was working closely with authorities and that this latest event was an “escalation in a campaign of intimidation and harassment targeted at the Jewish community.”

The “PKK” referenced in the graffiti is an abbreviation of the Kurdistan Workers Party, a separatist movement fighting for greater autonomy for Kurds living in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey. The group has killed tens of thousands of people since the 1980’s and is considered a terrorist group by Turkey and the country’s allies, of which Australia is one.

NSW Police has established Strike Force Mylor in response to the attacks and urge anyone with information to contact Crimestoppers.