MELBOURNE, Australia — Australian authorities are currently investigating whether foreign actors are financing criminals to commit antisemitic attacks within the country. This inquiry comes in the wake of a notable increase in such crimes following the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023.

Australia Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw reported that detectives are looking into the possibility that these attacks are the work of "criminals-for-hire," and have launched an investigation to uncover who is funding these individuals, their locations, and the underlying motivations behind their actions. "We believe criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents," Kershaw stated during a press briefing in Canberra.

Kershaw emphasized that they are also examining if young individuals have been radicalized through online platforms, potentially encouraging them to engage in antisemitic acts. This aspect of the investigation reflects broader concerns about the influence of online extremism in recent incidents. Police are particularly focused on the use of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment, which may complicate tracking these transactions, according to reports from AP News.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that authorities believe some of these actions are perpetrated by individuals who lack a specific ideological motivation, suggesting they may not have personal stakes in the conflict but are acting as paid agents. "It is important that people understand where some of these attacks are coming from," he noted.

The scrutiny of antisemitic activities follows several troubling incidents, including a recent arson attack on a childcare center near a synagogue in Sydney and prior attacks on Jewish communal spots in major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne, which together house 85% of Australia's Jewish population. The New South Wales Police have responded by increasing the number of detectives in the Strike Force Pearl, an operation dedicated to investigating these hate crimes from 20 to 40 detectives.

As part of ongoing efforts, authorities have made arrests, including that of a 33-year-old man charge with attempting to burn down a synagogue in Newtown, inner Sydney. The police reported that his alleged accomplice is also expected to be arrested soon.

The Australian Jewish community has expressed significant concern over these escalating attacks, prompting heightened security measures across synagogues and community centers, demonstrating the urgent need for law enforcement to address this alarming trend.

For further details, refer to the article on Time, Al Jazeera, and Newsweek.