Key Points
- Peter Dutton says young Australians can be radicalised because of a "bombardment of propaganda" online.
- The Opposition leader has accused the government of not condemning antisemitic conduct strongly enough.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly and unequivocally condemned acts of antisemitism in Australia.
Eggs and verbal abuse have been hurled at five young women near Bondi Beach and more cars and buildings spray-painted in the latest antisemitic attacks in Australia.
Police said they believed the women were targeted by three young men in a silver Mazda that crashed onto a kerb with the engine running on Saturday night. The car contained a carton of eggs and an empty jerry can.
Strikeforce Pearl commander detective superintendent Darren Newman said investigators are treating the matter as an antisemitic incident, with the young women’s clothing possibly identifying them as targets.
"We're looking at hundreds and hundreds of hours of CCTV, we're trying to track vehicles and persons in all of these matters. We will make sure that we go after every single person involved in those offences," he told reporters on Sunday.
"We will track you down. What you've done last night is highly offensive — it's criminal."
Vandals sprayed cars and garage doors in Sydney's eastern suburbs with antisemitic obscenities, mirroring previous graffiti attacks in the city's east. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
Latest in series of antisemitic attacks
Vandals also sprayed cars and garage doors in Sydney’s eastern suburbs with antisemitic obscenities, mirroring previous graffiti attacks in the city’s east.
Newman said under his command 11 arrests have been made, 66 charges laid and 12 investigations commenced in recent months, with some of the attacks linked.
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He ruled out any link between the incidents on Saturday night and a caravan found on Sydney's northwest outskirts that contained explosive material and addresses of Jewish targets.
Since December a synagogue has been firebombed, multiple cars torched and swastikas and anti-Semitic language painted on vehicles and buildings in Jewish communities.
The Australian Federal Police is investigating whether overseas actors paid local criminals to carry out the anti-Semitic attacks.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has taken aim at big tech companies for "radicalising" young people as yet another string of anti-Jewish graffiti has appeared in Sydney overnight. Source: Getty / Tracey Nearmy
Dutton concerned about internet 'propaganda'
The incidents come as federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton put major tech companies in the firing line over concerns young people are being radicalised amid the spate of antisemitic attacks.
Social media platforms profiting off kids need to do more to keep them safe online but failed to do so because of a focus on profits, he said.
"Our kids are on their devices constantly, the same rules should apply online as they do in the real world," he told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.
"As [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general] Mike Burgess would point out, a young person sitting in front of a computer screen can be indoctrinated over a week or two because of the constant videos and bombardment of propaganda," Dutton said.
"So there's obviously the influence of social media, there's the influence of people who are radicalised here in our own society."
Asked about the responsibility of X owner Elon Musk for this radicalisation, Dutton said he "had a battle for over a decade against people like Elon Musk and [Meta CEO] Mark Zuckerberg and others who were making money out of our kids", which he said needed to be done in a "responsible way".
Prime minister did 'nothing' about antisemitism, Dutton claims
Dutton said ambiguity from the government about activities such as anti-Israel protests around university campuses that impacted Jewish students had resulted in an environment that allowed antisemitism to fester.
He accused the prime minister and universities of not being strong enough in condemning antisemitic conduct.
"To this very day, the universities haven't given a proper account of how that was allowed to continue on," he said.
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"The prime minister did nothing about it, the marches on the streets that went on for months and months, waving flags of terrorist organisations, all of that allowed people to believe that there was no red line that could be crossed and there's no consequence."
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly and unequivocally condemned acts of antisemitism and called for perpetrators to be hunted down and prosecuted.
Federal and state police had investigated and charged people over the waving of terrorist flags at protests.
Dutton accused of 'playing politics'
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth accused Dutton of politicising a serious issue.
"It's unacceptable that there are people of Jewish faith feeling unsafe in this country but for the government it's about being responsible and making sure people are actually safe, not playing politics," she told Sky News.
The Opposition leader has been criticised by some Jewish community leaders for ignoring the voices of Jews who were critical of Israel and using the community as a political football.
