A second suspect was arrested for the vandalization and attempted arson of a Sydney Synagogue, the New South Wales Police Force announced on Thursday, a day after his co-conspirator had been charged for the antisemitic attack.
The 37-year-old man suspect in last Saturday's Newtown Synagogue incident was tasered and arrested at a Darling Harbour hotel by Strike Force Pearl.
The task force, established in December to investigate antisemitic crimes in Sydney, had on Wednesday arrested a 33-year-year-old man for alleged involvement in the attempted synagogue arson.
The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies welcomed the second arrest, saying on Facebook that it was "imperative that every perpetrator of these attacks has the book thrown at them."
Security footage released by NSW Police showed that two vandals had spray-painted red Nazi swastikas on the synagogue's building and fence and had allegedly attempted to set the house of worship on fire. The Newtown synagogue incident occurred the same day that a Queens Park home was graffitied with the words "F**k Jews,” and five cars and a trailer were vandalized. A day prior the Sydney Southern Synagogue was graffitied with the slogans “Hitler on top,” and “Free Palestine."
All of Australia's police commissioners met on Wednesday to discuss the recent rise of antisemitism and prejudice-motivated crimes.
The commissioners announced in a joint Thursday communique that the leading officers agreed to establish a dedicated antisemitism coordination group of deputy commissioners from each jurisdiction. The group will meet monthly to share information and intelligence and, when needed, assist in cross-state investigations and operations.
The officers also discussed high-visibility policing and direct community engagement.
"Commissioners agreed there has never been a greater need for law enforcement agencies to focus on the core role of policing – to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and to ensure community safety and that all communities feel safe. This is the foundation Australian policing is built on," said the commissioners. "Ongoing engagement with the Jewish community, as well as the many diverse communities that call Australia home, will continue to be prioritized by all jurisdictions."
Various antisemitic incidents in Sydney
Strike Force Pearl's arrests have led to nine charges in antisemitic vandalism and arson in Sydney. A 34-year-old Liverpool woman was arrested Monday for her alleged involvement in a December 11 Woollahra area incident in which a vehicle was set on fire. The destroyed vehicle and another car, two buildings, and a footpath were vandalized with antisemitic graffiti.
Last Thursday, a 21-year-old man was arrested by Strike Force Pearl for involvement in a November 21 Woollahra arson that destroyed one car and damaged another. Nine other vehicles were also allegedly graffitied, as well as three buildings. He joined 20 and 19-year-old men who had previously been arrested by the task force.
Two men were arrested by the counter-antisemitism police strike force last Tuesday for the October 20 arson of the Bondi Kosher cafe Lewis Continental Kitchen. The arson was suggested by politicians and law enforcement to be connected to the October 17 arson of the similarly named Curly Lewis Brewing.
Court documents for the alleged brewery arsonists, according to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, suggested the involvement of another actor paying and directing the arson -- lending to a theory by the Australian Federal Police that foreign actors are funding the spate of antisemitism in the country.