In a deeply unsettling incident that has reverberated across the nation, a childcare centre in Sydney’s eastern suburbs became the target of a heinous antisemitic attack, prompting an urgent response from the highest levels of government.
The attack, which occurred at a childcare centre on Storey Street in Maroubra before 1 am on Tuesday, involved the setting of a fire and the scrawling of offensive antisemitic graffiti on the building’s exterior.
Fire crews arrived to find the ground floor engulfed in flames, and although the centre was thankfully unoccupied at the time, the damage to the property was significant. A crime scene was established, and a full-scale investigation is now underway, with police vowing to exhaust all resources to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Following the attack, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, alongside New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, visited the site of the crime, expressing their collective horror and condemnation.
The Prime Minister described the attack as an ‘evil hate crime’ and assured the public that the state and territory leaders would be discussing measures to prevent such atrocities in the future.
‘Our childcare centres are places of joy and harmony. What we saw overnight, is the latest in a series of antisemitic hate crimes. It is a vicious crime. The only objective which will be achieved by this crime is the fulfilment of these people being caught, charged, and facing the full force of the law,’ said Albanese.
‘This is a place for children and families, and it should never have been denigrated by this despicable and horrifying crime.’
Premier Minns echoed these sentiments, labelling the attack as ‘atrocious’ and ‘against everything and all of the traditions we hold dear in Australia.’
‘These antisemitic attacks are the opposite of the kind of country that we all want to live in.’
Aside from the visit, Prime Minister Albanese also convened a national cabinet meeting to address the growing concern over hate crimes in the country. State and territory leaders will meet him virtually at 5 pm today, Tuesday.
‘This afternoon we will hear from the AFP Commissioner (Reece Kershaw) and it will be an opportunity for us to discuss collectively the responses that are being made by state and territory governments and the coordination with the Commonwealth,” he said.
The childcare centre’s proximity to a synagogue underscores the targeted nature of the attack, which is part of an alarming trend of antisemitic incidents in the area.
Just a week prior, the former home of a Jewish leader was vandalised in a similar fashion, with vehicles sprayed with graffiti and set ablaze. Others were defaced with red paint.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and a prominent figure in the Jewish community, has called for these attacks to be treated as a ‘national emergency,’ saying, ‘To plan and execute the firebombing of a childcare centre requires a depth of savagery that is difficult to imagine.’
‘Today, families will be having conversations about whether it is safe to send their children to the places where they should be safest. Places of worship, homes and now pre-schools have all been targeted by domestic terrorists.’
Lastly, Ryvchin describes ‘antisemitism’ as ‘the disease that is destroying our country.’
The Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman, Dr Dvir Abramovich, has also spoken out, emphasising that the Maroubra attack was a ‘chilling reminder that antisemitism knows no boundaries.’
‘The deliberate destruction of a childcare centre, compounded by the vile smearing of antisemitic graffiti on its walls, is nothing short of an attack on the moral fabric of our society,’ he said.
Meanwhile, NSW police have arrested and charged eight individuals as part of Strike Force Pearl, an operation dedicated to investigating antisemitic hate crimes in Sydney’s east.
The arrest included a 34-year-old woman implicated in related crimes. She was charged with property damage as she faced Liverpool Local Court today and was refused bail. She is set to reappear in court in February.
For parents and guardians, this incident raises serious concerns about the safety of childcare facilities and the potential risks to the youngest and most vulnerable.
We invite you to share your thoughts on this issue. What measures do you believe should be taken to safeguard communities and ensure that such attacks never happen again? Your voice is crucial in shaping the conversation and driving change.
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