Key takeaways:

• Australian police are investigating possible foreign funding for a rise in antisemitic crimes.
• The inquiry follows increased incidents since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7, 2023.
• Authorities suspect that local criminals may be paid to carry out these attacks.
• Prime Minister Albanese noted that some assailants might be “paid actors” not driven by ideology.
• The number of detectives assigned to antisemitism investigations has doubled recently.

Australian authorities are conducting an investigation into whether foreign entities are financing local criminals to carry out antisemitic attacks, a concern that has arisen following recent incidents linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. This wave of antisemitic crimes has prompted urgent discussions within law enforcement, as reported by AP News and Time.

A meeting held on Wednesday by Australia’s Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw with state police chiefs underscored the rising antisemitism. Kershaw indicated, “We believe criminals-for-hire may be behind some incidents,” and investigative efforts are focused on identifying the sources of funding, both domestic and international. “So part of our inquiries include: who is paying those criminals, where those people are, whether they are in Australia or offshore, and what their motivation is,” he said, as detailed in a recent report by Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese echoed the concerns, noting that some of these antisemitic acts appear to be perpetrated by individuals not motivated by ideology but rather as “paid actors.” He mentioned that authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding incidents, including the use of funding possibly involving cryptocurrency, which complicates tracking and identification processes, as highlighted by Newsweek.

The urgency of the inquiry has intensified in light of multiple attacks, including an arson incident at a childcare center near a Sydney synagogue and vandalism at synagogues in Melbourne. Reports indicate a troubling increase in such incidents since the outbreak of fighting, raising alarm within Jewish communities predominantly located in Sydney and Melbourne, where approximately 85% of Australia’s Jewish population resides.

In a decisive move, New South Wales Police have doubled the number of detectives working on the Strike Force Pearl initiative aimed at investigating antisemitic crime—from 20 to 40. This follows the apprehension of a 33-year-old suspect charged with attempting to burn down a synagogue, further reinforcing the attention to this pressing issue.

As investigations proceed, authorities remain vigilant about whether youth are being radicalized online to engage in these settings. With the situation evolving rapidly, officials continue to gather insights and provide updates to the public on the status of these inquiries.

For more information on this developing story, visit the full reports at AP News, Time, Al Jazeera, and Newsweek.