ABC’s bizarre question on anti-Semitic attack

An ABC broadcaster has called on NSW Premier Chris Minns to clarify why a series of attacks in Sydney were classified anti-Semitic.

Mr Minns was being interviewed by broadcaster Chris Taylor on ABC Sydney hours after anti-Semitic attack in the city’s eastern suburb of Woollahra on Wednesday.

Emergency services were called following reports of a car fire on Magney St in Woollahra about 1am on Wednesday.

Two buildings, the footpath along Magney St and another car were also vandalised.

The words “Kill Israiel” were also scrawled on a wall behind a torched red car.

Many leaders, including Mr Minns, have since condemned the attack, as police continue to investigate the incident.

Mr Taylor was filling-in for regular ABC Sydney breakfast host Craig Reucassel on Wednesday when he questioned Mr Minns about his earlier statement that the attacks were anti-Semitic.

“Just on your wording in your statement this morning, what’s your reasoning for branding the attack anti-Semitic and not anti-Israel? How do you make a distinction?,” Mr Taylor asked the premier on the broadcast.

Mr Minns replied: “The location of the crime, the suggestion that they should kill Israel, the sequence of events following the burning down of the synagogue in Melbourne, the attacks in Sydney of several weeks ago, the demonstrations outside religious institutions.”

“I mean, I think we would have to be wilful at this point to turn a blind eye to that sequence of events and suggest it’s anything other than an anti-Semitic attack,” Mr Minns said.

“And I want to make it clear if there was an attack on any other community group in NSW on the basis of their religion or on the basis of their nationality, then I would say exactly the same thing.”

Following his answer, Mr Taylor followed up his question by asking: “So if you’re calling it anti-Semitic rather than just a political anti-Israel statement … would you say anti-Semitism is at an all-time high in your experience?”

Mr Minns replied: “Yes, I would.”

Mr Minns said he had been concerned about the escalating situation across Sydney, seemingly agreeing with Mr Taylor’s comments that “it’s getting alarming now, isn’t it?”.

“I’m concerned about it, I don’t think there’s any point in sugar-coating it,” Mr Minns said.

“It is a worry. We need to have a zero tolerance when we do confront it.”

When ABC was contacted by NewsWire about Mr Taylor’s questions put to the premier, the national broadcaster referred to Mr Taylor’s broadcast earlier in the day.

“The very first reference to the incident by fill-in ABC Sydney Breakfast presenter Chris Taylor at 5.37am this morning referred to anti-Semitism twice,” the ABC stated.

Mr Taylor’s 5.37am broadcast in full:

“If you haven’t heard the news overnight, there’s been another suspected anti-Semitic attack in the Eastern Suburbs just a few hours ago,” Mr Taylor said.

“At about 1am last night, or this morning, police were called to Magney Street in Woollahra following reports of a car fire.

“On arrival, officers attached to the Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command found a Toyota Corolla alight. NSW Fire and Rescue extinguished the fire a short time later.

“Police also observed offensive graffiti on the front fence walls of seven properties. It’s the same suburb, Woollahra, where 10 cars were damaged last month.

“Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

“We’ll keep an eye on this story across the morning, and see if we can get some comment on what continues to be a rather ugly trend, in this apparent rise in anti-Semitism behaviour.“

The short ABC interview comes after Mr Minns earlier told Today “clearly we have people in our community with hate in their heart”.

Mr Minns had condemned the “shocking anti-Semitic hate crimes”.

“This is not just a random act of vandalism on a Sydney street,” he said.

“This is a targeted attack at the Jewish community in the eastern suburbs.

“We need to call it for what it is, and that is anti-Semitism, an attack on the basic principles of what’s been built up in Australia for many, many decades.

“It doesn’t matter what race or religion you come from, we want to live side-by-side with each other in peace, and we cannot have a situation where we’re importing the worst conflicts from around the world onto the streets of Australia.

“That means that we need to take action to defend what’s been built up over decades in this country.”

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb earlier said police believed the car that was set alight had been stolen.

“It has been severely damaged by fire, so there’s certainly a task ahead for our forensic officers to determine what the vehicle is and any information we can get from the vehicle,” Ms Webb said.

“We believe it was stolen.”

Police are hoping to speak with two people aged between 15 and 20 years of age believed to have been in the vicinity at the time.

They’re described as of slim build, wearing face coverings and dark clothing.

Anyone with information has been urged to come forward.