OOoOoops!
Anti-Jewish attacks up in Australia
By Mark Schulman
CANBERRA (February 27) - Anti-Semitic attacks in Australia are on the rise, according to the country's top internal security organization.
In its 2000-01 annual report released in Parliament last week, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) said there was a significant increase in threats to the Jewish community, particularly following the start of the uprising in September 2000.
Although the report gave little detail about the nature of the threats and had no information to indicate the rise in the number and seriousness of anti-Jewish incidents was centrally organized, it did emphasize events in the Middle East continue to have an impact on the security environment in Australia.
"Politically motivated violence remains our principle investigative priority," ASIO Director-General of Security Dennis Richardson said in a statement. "Particularly in relation to Middle East terrorist groups, some of which have a small number of supporters in Australia and in our region."
ASIO, the agency responsible for providing the Australian government with security intelligence advice and contributing to the country's counter-terrorism response capability, issued 1,342 threat assessments last year, with threats to US interests in Australia remaining a high priority.
"Australia's strong support for the US and commitment of military forces to the war on terrorism has raised Australia's profile internationally," Attorney-General Daryl Williams said. "Threats to Australian interests at home and abroad have also risen."
Such sentiments echo deeply throughout Australia's 110,000-plus Jews, with hundreds of incidents being reported each year.
"The worst month on record in terms of harassment and violence against the Jewish community was October 2000," said Jeremy Jones, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. "Our national database shows a total of 119 physical incidents against the Jewish community and institutions and 243 threats and incidents of harassment between October 2000 and September 2001."
These statistics includes physical acts, such as fire bombings, graffiti, people wearing kippot being beaten up in the street, and hate mail, phone calls, and threatening e-mails.
"After September 11, there was a surge in reports of hate mail, especially hate e-mails, in the Jewish community," Jones said.
Just one month before the terrorist attacks in the US, several firebombs were thrown at the Jewish Center in Canberra, the fourth such attack in less than a year. Similar attacks have been reported in Sydney and Melbourne. None of the perpetrators has been caught.
The Australian Jewish community remains on heightened alert for potential attacks on synagogues and institutions, especially during the holidays.
"We are in constant contact with the local Australian authorities about possible attacks," said the chief of security at the Israeli Embassy. "We are monitoring the situation closely."
jpost.com
Hey, didn't know there were so many Arabs in Australia.... thought the Aussie Navy's policy was to capsize the refugee ships before they reach Australian waters?! Thought Australia was a white-only Shangri-La... free of darkies and third-world bummers! Thought Aussies used to stuff Aboriginals and suchlike and displayed them as souvenirs... What went wrong? Did French provocateurs from nearby New Caledonia stage it all? You tell me....
Gus |
